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THE 


SAILOR’S COMPANION, 


BOOK OF DEVOTIONS FOR SEAMEN 


IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION. 

NO. 821 CHESTNUT STREET. 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1858, by 
JAMES DUNLAP, Treas., 

in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court for the Eastern District 
of Pennsylvania. 









INTRODUCTION. 


- -« t3g| .- 

The volume here presented to Mariners was 
prepared expressly for their use. The First Part 
is designed for public services on ship-board, 
while the Second Part is intended chiefly for pri¬ 
vate use. The vocation of a sailor is both useful 
and honourable; and coubi a religious feeling be 
more generally infused into these brave and en¬ 
during men, not only would their own happiness 
be promoted, but additional respect would be en¬ 
tertained for their profession. A book for their es¬ 
pecial benefit has been long desired, and the present 
may answer a good purpose, until a better one 
supplies its place. By the serious and devout use 
of it, under the divine blessing, it is hoped that the 
seamen in the naval service of the United States 
and in the commercial marine, to whom it is 
hereby dedicated, may receive lasting advantage. 

Nothing sectarian will be found in these pages. 























CONTENTS. 

PART FIRST, 

PUBLIC SERVICES. 

PAGE 

Form of service on shipboard on the Lord’s day, . . 7 

A second form for public worship, .... 14 

Funeral service to be used at sea,.22 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS, .... 26 


PLAIN AND SHORT DISCOURSES ON THE PRIN¬ 
CIPAL DOCTRINES OF THE GOSPEL. 

Sermon I. The conversion of the jailer, . . .57 

II. Regeneration, or the new birth, . . 65 

III. Repentance, ...... 73 

IV. The Pharisee and the Publican. . . 81 

V. The prodigal son, or the penitent joyfully re¬ 

ceived, .88 

VI. Christ the way to God and heaven, . 97 

VII. The vain excuses of sinners exposed, . 104 

VIII. The value of the soul, . . . 112 

IX. The penitent thief, , . . . .120 

X. Irresolution reproved, and decision recom¬ 

mended, .127 

1* (5) 





6 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Sermon XI. Christ the great Physician, . . .133 

XII. Sinners are self-destroyers, but salvation is 

of God,.140 

XIII. Sin odious to God, .... 149 


A SELECTION OF PSALMS AND HYMNS, . 163 


PART SECOND, 

FOR MORE PRIVATE USE. 

I. What is Religion ? .205 

II. Brief Exposition of the Ten Commandments, • . 217 

“ “ of the Lord’s Prayer, . . . . 221 

“ “ of passages of Scripture, . . 237 

III. Prayers for various occasions, . . . .222 

IV. Friendly Advices to Seamen .... 256 




PUBLIC SERVICES. 


FORM OF SERVICE 

ON 

SHIP-BOARD ON THE LORD’S DAY. 


The Ship t s Company being reverently assembled, some 

SUITABLE PERSON WILL CONDUCT THE WORSHIP IN THE FOLLOW¬ 
ING ORDER. 


These Scriptures to be deliberately read. 


0 COME, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel 
before the Lord our maker. 

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken 
and contrite heart, 0 God,. thou wilt not despise. 

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his 
ears are open to their cry. 

He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and 
that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we 
may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of 
need. 


Then follows the Introductory Prayer. 


A LMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, thy 
throne is in the heavens, and thy government 
extends over the land and the sea. In thy mercy 
and condescension thou dost permit us to approach 

(?) 





8 FORM OF SERVICE ON S HIP-BO ARD 

and make our common supplications to thee. Fulfil 
to us at this time thy gracious promise, that where 
two or three are met together in thy name, thou 
wilt be in the midst of them. May a sense of thy 
excellency make us suitably afraid, and may no 
vain and sinful thoughts lodge within us. Give 
to us the spirit of true worshippers, and may we 
not mock thee with a mere outward form of devo¬ 
tion in which our hearts are not engaged. May 
we pray to thee in all sincerity, joyfully celebrate 
thy praise, and reverently hear thy most holy 
word. Hear thou the voice of our supplication ; 
cleanse us from every sin, 'md accept of us and 
our services for the sake of Jesus Christ, to whom 
with thee and the Holy Spirit, be endless praises, 
Amen. 

Or this : 

0 MOST holy God, to whom all worship is due, 
give to us the aids of thy Spirit, that we may 
worship thee aright. May we at this time be 
solemn and devout, and withdraw our thoughts 
from the business and cares of the world. Suffer 
no temptation to assail us by which our attention 
might be diverted from the duty in which we are 
engaged ; but impart to us thy grace and strength, 
that we may penitently confess our sins, and ex¬ 
ercise faith in the Lamb of God, who taketh away 
the sins of the world ; all which we ask for Jesus 
Christ’s sake, Amen. 


ON THE LORD’S DAY. 9 

Here read one of the Selections from Scripture, which may be 
found under the head of Scripture Selections. 

Then one of the Psalms or Hymns at the end of the Book may 
be read or sung. 

Then some of the following Prayers, or any of those under the 
head of “ Prayers for various occasions,” are to be devoutly 
repeated. 

Confession of sin. 

0 MOST holy God, thou art of purer eyes than 
to look upon sin without displeasure; and yet 
we have been sinners from our youth, until our 
iniquities are more in number than the hairs of 
our head. Thy most holy commandments we 
have broken, notwithstanding the danger to which 
our souls have thereby been exposed. Our affec¬ 
tions have been earthly and sensual, our lips have 
uttered vanity and profaned thy holy name, and 
all our members have been made instruments of 
unrighteousness. These our sins we would not 
vainly attempt to conceal from thee; but peni¬ 
tently confessing them, we would implore thee 
for pardon, and for strength to live a new life, for 
the sake of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

A Prayer for Divine Guidance. 

0 LORD most merciful, from whom all good pur¬ 
poses do proceed, grant unto us heavenly 
wisdom to direct our steps aright, that we may be 
obedient to all lawful authority, and faithfully per¬ 
form all our duties. Thou hast required of us, in 
whatever situation we may be placed, to adorn it 


10 FORM OF SERVICE ON SHIP-BOARD 


by a holy walk, and to remember that thine eyes 
are continually upon us. May the example of our 
blessed Redeemer be ever before us, and may we 
strive to follow in his footsteps, so that when we 
shall depart from this life we may hear thee say, 
Well done, good and faithful servants, enter ye into 
the joy of the Lord; which we ask for Christ’s 
sake, Amen. 

A Prayer for Protection. 

0 ALMIGHTY God, who rulest the sea, and, ac¬ 
cording to thy good pleasure, makest it a 
dangerous or safe highway, hold us in thy hand 
that no evil may befall us. In our helplessness 
and insignificance, we need the protection of more 
than a mortal power. Send us, we beseech thee, 
favouring winds that we may be speeded on our 
voyage; and may we be preserved from fire, 
tempest, shipwreck, and the other dangers of the 
deep. May our life and health be precious in thy 
sight, that in safety we may reach our destined 
port, which we ask for Christ’s sake, Amen. 

A Prayer for Friends.. 

0 GOD, in thee all live and have their being, and 
to thee are we indebted for all the blessings of 
home and friends. In our absence, may those who 
are near and dear to us be under thy holy pro¬ 
tection, and be kept in life and health. May they 
not be led into temptation, neither let temporal or 


ON THE LORD’S DAY. 


11 


spiritual evil befall them. Fathers and mothers, 
wives and children, brothers and sisters, we would 
keep in our affectionate remembrance; and we 
would earnestly beseech thee to keep them in thy 
remembrance, for thy favour is life, and thy loving¬ 
kindness is better than life. All which we ask 
for Christ’s sake, Amen. 

A Prayer for sick Messmates. 

0 THOU to whom we are indebted for life and 
health and all things, to thee alone we would 
repair when sickness befalls us or our companions. 
In thy wise dispensations thou hast seen fit to send 
sickness among us; and by thy mercy alone can 
it be removed. Thou art the great Physician, 
and without thy blessing all human skill will be 
in vain. Apply then thy healing aid that our 
companions may be restored to health, or if, in 
thy wisdom, thou hast determined that in any 
case the sickness should terminate in death, then 
mercifully prepare the dying for their departure, 
and through the merits of Christ’s sacrifice intro¬ 
duce their spirits into that world where there shall 
be no more sickness nor death ; and to thy name, 
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, shall be all the 
glory, Amen. 

A Prayer for our beloved Country. 

0 MOST merciful God, thou hast made us citi- 
• zens of a favoured land, and hast given us a 


12 FORM OF SERVICE ON SHIP-BOARD 

goodly heritage. For good and wholesome laws 
we thank thee, by which life, liberty, and personal 
rights are protected. May our country ever be 
under thy holy care, and by thy almighty power 
preserve it from civil dissension and foreign in¬ 
vasion. Let no weapon prosper which is raised 
against it, and may its blessed institutions be per¬ 
petuated to remote ages. Ward off famine, pesti¬ 
lence, and every deadly evil; may its people lead 
industrious, peaceable, and godly lives; and may 
all its officers, from the highest to the lowest, 
be imbued with heavenly wisdom, and be a terror 
to evil doers, while they are a praise to them 
that do well; which we ask for Christ’s sake, 
Amen. 


A Prayer for general good Conduct. 



LORD, it is not in man to direct his steps, and 


^ without thy grace we will err and stray from 
the path in which we should go. Give to us, we 
pray thee, the disposition to do right in all cir¬ 
cumstances. May we neither tempt others to sin, 
nor be tempted by them. May we be attentive to 
duty; respectful to those in command over us; 
friendly to one another; courageous and firm in 
times of danger; and humble before our God. 
Guard our hearts from passion; our lips from 
profanity; and our hands from fraud and dis¬ 
honesty. May an ever present sense of our obli¬ 
gation to thee preserve us, in foreign ports, from 


ON THE LORD’S DAY. 


13 


extravagance, intemperance, profanity, and licen¬ 
tiousness ; and do thou graciously guard us from 
the numerous temptations which may beset us; 
and from the arts and enticements of the wicked, 
who may wish us to do evil. All which we ask 
for Jesus Christ’s sake, Amen. 


The Lord’s Prayer. 


UR. Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy 



U name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done in earth 
as it is in heaven ; give us this day our daily bread; and 
forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead 
us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, 
Amen. 

Here one of the Sermons in another part of the Book is to be 


read. 

Then close with this Prayer. 


ORD, accept our feeble attempts to worship 



thee, and may a solemn influence abide with 
us from the services in which we have been en¬ 
gaged. Impress the truth which we have heard 
upon our hearts; and may we not only endeavour 
to learn the will of God, but put it into practice 
in our lives. Forgive all that thou hast seen amiss 
in us at this time, and accept of our persons and 
services for Christ’s sake, Amen. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the 
Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, 
and ever shall be, world without end, Amen. 


2 


14 FORM Of' SERVICE ON SHIP-BOARD 


A SECOND FORM FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP. 


These Scriptures should be devoutly read. 


T HE Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lordsj 
a great*God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth 
not persons, nor taketh reward. 

Thine, 0 Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the 
glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in 
the heaven, and in the earth, is thine; thine is the king¬ 
dom, 0 Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. 

Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto 
the lowly; but the proud he knoweth afar off. 

The darkness hideth not from thee, but the night 
shineth as the day; the darkness and the light are both 
alike to thee. 

O Lord, thou hast searched me and known me. Thou 
knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising, thou un- 
derstandest my thoughts afar off. Thou compassest my 
path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my 
ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, 0 
Lord, thou knowest it altogether. 

He is wise in heart and mighty in strength : who hath 
hardened himself against him, and hath prospered ? 

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom that cannot be 
moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God 
acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. 


Introductory Prayer. 

A GOD most holy, thou art the infinite Spirit, 
^ and they that would worship thee, must wor¬ 
ship thee in spirit and in truth. So govern our 
thoughts and regulate our affections, that we may 
present thee an acceptable sacrifice, with which 
thou wilt be well pleased. May our duty to thee 
be our pleasure; and with the angels in heaven, 


ON THE LORD’S DAY. 


15 


and the spirits of the just made perfect, may we 
joyfully ascribe all glory to the Most High. May 
thy presence be with us, and thy grace assist us 
that we may not mock thee with mere lip-service, 
in which our hearts are not found. Teach us all 
good knowledge, and scatter darkness from our 
minds. For the sake of thy well-beloved Son, our 
Saviour, may the words of our mouth, and the 
meditations of our hearts be acceptable in thy 
sight, 0 Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer, 
Amen. 

Or this: 

A LORD, our Creator, Redeemer, and Friend, we 
^ would, with one accord, acknowledge thee in 
thy works of majesty and power; in the redemp¬ 
tion which thou hast wrought by the sufferings 
and death of Jesus Christ; and in all the dispen¬ 
sations of thy gracious providence. We would 
come and worship before thee, in the full assu¬ 
rance that thou wilt hear the prayers of the hum¬ 
ble, and bestow on us the things which we need. 
May we ask that we may receive; seek that we 
may find ; and knock that the door of mercy may 
be opened. Keep us from wandering thoughts 
and desires, that the services in which we are en¬ 
gaged may do us good, as they do the upright in 
heart. All which we ask for Jesus Christ’s sake, 
Amen. 


16 FORM OF SERVICE ON SHIP-BOARD 


Here read one of the Selections from Scripture, which may be 
found under the head of Scripture Selections. 

Then one of the Psalms or Hymns at the end of the Book 
may be read or sung. 

Then some of the following Prayers are to be devoutly re¬ 
peated. 


A general Confession. 

A LMIGHTY and most merciful Father, we have 
^ erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. 
We have followed too much the devices and de¬ 
sires of our own hearts. We have offended against 
thy holy laws. We have left undone those things 
which we ought to have done; and we have done 
those things which we ought not to have done; 
and there is no health in us. But thou, 0 Lord, 
have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare 
thou those, 0 God, who confess their faults. Be- 
store thou those who are penitent, according to 
thy promises declared unto mankind, in Christ Je¬ 
sus our Lord; and grant, 0 most merciful Father, 
for his sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, 
righteous, and sober life, to the glory of thy holy 
name, Amen. 


A Prayer for Repentance and Faith. 

A GOB, from whom all gracious affections do 
^ proceed, grant unto us such an insight into 
our hearts as will thoroughly convince us of our 
native depravity, and numberless actual transgres¬ 
sions. May we not vainly attempt to excuse or 


ON THE LORD’S DAY. 


17 


* 


cloak our sins, which are fully exposed to thy all- 
seeing eye; but humbly confess them, truly repent 
of them, and heartily forsake them, that we may 
thereby obtain thy great mercy in the forgiveness of 
the same, according to thy promise, that whoso 
confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy. 
And grant, we beseech thee, that faith in Jesus 
Christ, by which we shall be enabled to look to 
him, and trust in him as the only Saviour of them 
that are lost. May we look to him as God mani¬ 
fested in the flesh, and may we flee to his cross, on 
which he suffered, the just for the unjust, that he 
might bring us to God. May we not be faithless, 
but believing; may we not depend on any merit 
of our own, but cast our souls on Him who hath 
said, Him that cometh to me I will in no wise 
cast out; and this we ask for Jesus Christ’s 
sake, Amen. 

A Prayer for Christian Tempers. 

0 GOD, who searchest the heart, and requirest 
that it should be right in thy sight, create in 
us a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within 
us, that we may be renewed and sanctified and 
made meet for the Master’s service. Thou, O 
Lord, knowest that we cannot control our thoughts 
and tempers, without thy special grace. We are 
prone to sin as the sparks fly upwards ; and, like 
the restless sea, are tossed to and fro by our un- 
2 * 


18 FORM OF SERVICE ON SHIP-BOARD 

governed passions. Send thou thy Holy Spirit to 
breathe into us a new life, and deliver us from our 
old corruptions. May anger, malice, envy, evil 
speaking, and lust, be suppressed ; and may we 
hereafter be characterized by love, joy, peace, long- 
suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and 
temperance, which are so well pleasing in thy 
sight. May the same mind and temper which 
dwelt in Christ Jesus dwell in us; which we ask 
for his sake, Amen. 

A Prayer for God’s Care. 

T HOU, Lord, not only hast all power, but art 
everywhere present. Thou gatherest the waters 
of the sea together as a heap, and layest up the 
depth in store-houses. Thy way is in the whirl¬ 
wind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust 
of thy feet. O most mighty God, cast the shield 
of thy protection around us, who go down to the 
sea in ships, and do business in great waters, and 
who see the works of the Lord and his wonders 
in the deep. When thou dost command and raise 
the stormy wind, and lift up the waves thereof, 
may we cry to thee in our trouble, who makest 
the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 
Preserve us from shipwreck, accidents, and sudden 
death, and in thy hands may we ever be safe. 
Hitherto thou hast been our help amidst a thousand 
dangers. Withhold not thou thy mercy from 


ON THE LORD’S DAY. 


19 


us for the future; which we ask for Christ’s sake, 
Amen. 

A Prayer for a religious Frame of mind. 

ri LORD most holy, thou requirest in us a con- 
^ stant conformity to thee, not only in our out¬ 
ward conduct, but in the thoughts and intents of 
our hearts; and yet how sadly do we fall short! 
Our thoughts, even when we are assembled for thy 
worship, often wander with the fool’s eyes to the 
ends of the earth; while our goodness is as the 
morning cloud and early dew which passethaway. 
O Lord, inspire us with a better and holier dis¬ 
position of mind. May we regard thee with re¬ 
verence and godly fear, and at all times remember 
that thou, God, seest us. Help us ever to preserve 
a devout frame of mind; and in the midst of our 
worldly occupations, as well as in the hours of pub¬ 
lic worship, may our affections be raised from earth 
to heaven, and our meditations be of God and hea¬ 
venly things. As we know not what an hour may 
bring forth, teach us, at all times, to be in that 
state of mind in which we should wish to be found, 
when our Lord shall call us hence; and the praise 
shall be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, 
Amen. 

A Prayer for a true, religious Hope. 

O UR heavenly Father, who, in thy infinite mercy, 
didst send thy beloved Son into the world to 


20 FORM OF SERVICE ON SHIP-BOARD 

seek and save the lost, inspire us with that good 
hope which shall not fail us in the end. May it 
not be the hope of the hypocrite, which shall per¬ 
ish ; or that delusive hope of the wicked, which is 
built on the sand; but that blessed expectation, 
which is founded on the sacrifice and intercession 
of our Redeemer. Give to us the hope that will 
purify our hearts, raise our thoughts above the 
world, and shed a holy light upon our dying 
hour. We dare not hope that thou wilt accept us 
for any righteousness which we may have done, 
for our best works are not sufficient to satisfy the 
just claims of thy law. Our expectation is from 
the Redeemer, who died and rose again for our 
justification. Graciously dismiss our fears; scatter 
the clouds which darken our minds; and when we 
come to die, may we have that blessed hope, that 
we shall die in the Lord and be for ever with him ; 
which we ask alone for his sake, Amen. 

Here one of the brief Sermons is to be deliberately and seri¬ 
ously read. 

Concluding Prayer. 

0 HOLY and most gracious God, may the words 
of thy truth, which we have heard with our 
outward ears, be engrafted inwardly upon our 
hearts. Like seed sown upon good ground, may 
it bring forth its fruit in due season. May we 
give the more earnest heed to the things which we 
have heard, lest at any time we should let them 


ON THE LORD’S DAY. 


21 


slip. In all our services, may thy great name be 
glorified, and our own souls enlightened and saved ; 
which we ask for Christ’s sake, Amen. 

Benediction. 

The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirits. 
Grace be with you, Amen. 




FUNERAL SERVICE 




TO BE USED AT SEA. 


The body being duly prepared for burial, and the ship’s 

COMPANY BEING ASSEMBLED, THE PERSON OFFICIATING SHALL 
SAY : 

W HAT is your life ? It is is even a vapour that ap¬ 
peared for a little time and then vanished away. 
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, swifter 
than a post they flee away. They are passed away as the 
swift ships; as the eagle that hasteth to the prey. 

We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain, 
we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the Lord 
hath taken away, blessed be'the name of the Lord. 

What man is he that lived and shall not see death ? 
Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave ? 

There is an appointed time for man upon earth ; his 
days are as the days of an hireling; his days are deter¬ 
mined, the number of his months is with thee; thou hast 
appointed his bounds that he cannot pass. 


Then shall be used the following prayer. 



HOLY and righteous Governor of the world, 


^ it is by thy good pleasure that we live, and' 
when thou commandest, our countenances are 
changed, and we are sent away. Make thou us 
to know our end, and the measure of our days, 
what it is, that we may know how frail we are. 


(22) 



FUNERAL SERVICE. 


23 


As it has pleased thee, O Lord, to send the mes¬ 
senger of death among us, and to recall the 
spirit of one of our number, we beseech thee that 
we may lay it to heart, and remember that we also 
are mortal; knowing neither the day nor the hour 
in which our summons may come. Grant that by 
a wise care of piety, we may be prepared to meet 
thee in the judgment; and by living a godly, 
righteous, and sober life, be ready to go hence in 
joy, and not in fear. Cheer thou us with the as¬ 
surance, that although the wages of sin is death, 
yet the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord, Amen. 

Hear now the admonitory and comfortable words of Holy 
Scripture. 

L ORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all genera¬ 
tions. Before the mountains were brought forth, or 
ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even 
from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Thou 
turnest man to destruction, and sayest: Return, ye 
children of men. For a thousand years in thy sight are 
but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the 
night. Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they 
are as a sleep; in the morning they are like grass which 
groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth and groweth 
up; in the evening it is cut down and withereth. For 
we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are 
we troubled. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, 
our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. For all 
our days are passed away in thy wrath ; we spend our 
years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are 
threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength 
they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and 


24 


FUNERAL SERVICE. 


sorrow; for it is soon cut off and we fly away. So teach us 
to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto 
wisdom. 

Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word 
and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, 
and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from 
death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour 
is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice 
of the Son of God ; and they that hear shall live. Marvel 
not at this, for the hour is coming in the which all that 
are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth; 
they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life ; 
and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of 
damnation. 

Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life; he that 
believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; 
and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. 

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this 
mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible 
shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have 
put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the say¬ 
ing that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O 
death, where is thy sting ? 0 grave, where is thy victory ? 
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the 
law. But thanks be to God who giveth us the victory 
through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Then all being ready for the burial, the person officiating shall 


say 



ORASMUCI1 as it hath pleased Almighty God 


- 1 - to remove out of this world the soul of this 
our late companion, we do now commit his lifeless 
body to the bosom of the mighty deep, [Here the 
body is to be committed to the sea,]* in the full 

* If the funeral shall take place in port, say. “ We do now com¬ 
mit his lifeless body to the earth whence it was taken.” 



FUNERAL SERVICE. 


25 


persuasion, that it shall he raised again, in the 
resurrection of the last day, when the dead shall 
come forth from their graves, and when the sea 
shall give up its dead. 

Concluding Prayer. 

0 GOD, who ever livest and abidest, may we all 
be made duly sensible of the shortness and 
uncertainty of life. We are but dust, and unto 
dust we shall return; but thou dost give us an 
endless life, which shall survive the destruction 
of all these material things. May we in faith and 
hope await our appointed time till our change 
shall come ; and when the earthly house of this 
tabernacle is dissolved, may we have a building 
of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in 
the heavens. And do thou, 0 most compassion¬ 
ate God, impart thy blessing to the surviving 
friends of the deceased, that when they learn that 
they are to see his face no more, they may find in 
Jesus a sympathizing friend who sticketh closer 
thaji a brother. Send now to them and to us thy 
salvation ; and wash us in the atoning blood of Him, 
who died upon the cross ; that whether we live, we 
may live unto the Lord, or whether we die, we 
may die unto the Lord; so that whether we live 
or die, we may be the Lord’s. All which we ask 
for Jesus Christ’s sake, Amen. 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the 
love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, 

be with us all for evermore, Amen. 

3 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


Selection I. 

Hear the word of God as recorded in the twenty-fourth Psalm. 

T HE earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the 
world, and they that dwell therein : 

For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established 
it upon the floods. 

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ? or who 
shall stand in his holy place ? 

He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who 
hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceit- 
fully. 

He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and right¬ 
eousness from the God of his salvation. 

This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek 
thy face, 0 Jacob. Selah. 

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, 
ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come 
in. 

Who is this King of glory ? The Lord strong and 
mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 

Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates; even lift them up, ye 
everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 

Who is this King of glory ? The Lord of hosts, he is 
the King of glory. Selah. 

(26) 



SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


27 


Hear again the word of God as recorded in the sixth chapter of 
Matthew. 

N O man can serve two masters : for either he will hate 
the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to 
the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God 
and Mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no 
thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall 
drink ; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is 
not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment ? 
Behold the fowls of the air : for they sow not, neither do 
they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Fa¬ 
ther feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they ? 
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto 
his stature? And why take ye thought for*raiment? 
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil 
not, neither do they spin : and yet I say unto you, that 
even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of 
these. Wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field, 
which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall 
he not much more clothe you, 0 ye of little faith ? 
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat ? 
or, What shall we drink ? or, Wherewithal shall we be 
clothed ? (For after all these things do the Gentiles 
seek :) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have 
need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom 
of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall 
be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the 
morrow : for the morrow shall take thought for the things 
of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

Selection II. 


Hear the word of God as recorded in the first chapter of Isaiah. 

W ASH you, make you clean ; put away the evil of 
your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do 
evil; learn to do well: seek judgment, relieve the op¬ 
pressed ; judge the fatherless; plead for the widow. 
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: 


28 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as 
snow ; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as 
wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the 
good of the land : but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall 
be devoured with the sword : for the mouth of the Lord 
hath spoken it. How is the faithful city become a harlot! 
It was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but 
now murderers. Thy silver has become dross, thy wine 
mixed with water. Thy princes are rebellious, and com¬ 
panions of thieves : every one loveth gifts, and followeth 
after rewards : they judge not the fatherless, neither doth 
the cause of the widow come unto them. Therefore saith 
the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, 
Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me 
of mine enemies: and I will turn my hand upon thee, 
aud purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy 
tin. And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and 
thy pounsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou 
shalt be called, The city of righteousness, The faithful 
city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her 
converts with righteousness. 

Hear again the word of God as recorded in the first chapter of 
the First Epistle of John. 

T HAT which was from the beginning, which we have 
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we 
have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the 
Word of life, (for the Life was manifested, and we have 
seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal 
Life, which was with the Father, and was manifested 
unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare 
we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us : 
and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his 
Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, 
that your joy may be full. This then is the message 
which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that 
God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we 
say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in dark- 


SCRIPTURE ‘SELECTIONS. 


29 


ness, we lie, and do not the truth : but if we walk in 
the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one 
with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son 
cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, 
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we 
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our 
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we 
say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his 
word is not in us. 


Selection III. 

Hear the word of God as recorded in the fifty-fifth chapter of 
Isaiah. 

H O, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, 
and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; 
yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and with¬ 
out price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which 
is not bread ? and your labour for that which satisfieth 
not ? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which 
is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. In¬ 
cline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul 
shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with 
you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have 
given him for a witness to the people, a leader and com¬ 
mander to the people. Behold, thou shalt call a nation 
that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee 
shall run unto thee, because of the Lord thy God, and 
for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. 
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon 
while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and 
the unrighteous man his thoughts : and let him return 
unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and 
to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are 
your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens 
are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than 
your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as 
3 * 


30 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and 
returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh 
it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, 
and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth 
forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, 
but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall 
prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go 
out with joy, and be led forth with peace : the mountains 
and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, 
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. In¬ 
stead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead 
of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree : and it shall 
be to the Lord for a name, and for an everlasting sign that 
shall not be cut off. 

Hear again the word of God as recorded in the eleventh chap¬ 


ter of Matthew. 


T that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, 



ii 0 Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou 
hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and 
hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it 
seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto 
me of my Father; and no man knoweth the Son, but the 
Father, neither knoweth any man the Father, save the 
Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. 

Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, 
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and 
learn of me : for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye 
shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and 
my burden is light. 


Selection IV. 


Hear the word of God as recorded in the one hundred and 
eleventh^ Psalm. 

P RAISE ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my 
whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in 
the congregation. The works of the Lord are great, 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


31 


sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. His 
work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness 
endureth for ever. He hath made his wonderful works 
to be remembered : the Lord is gracious and full of com¬ 
passion. He hath given meat unto them that fear him : 
he will ever be mindful of his covenant. He hath shewed 
his people the power of his works, that he may give them 
the heritage of the heathen. The works of his hands are 
verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. 
They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth 
and uprightness. He sent redemption unto his people : 
he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and 
reverend is his name. The fear of the Lord is the be¬ 
ginning of wisdom : a good understanding have all they 
that do his commandments : his praise endureth for ever. 

Hear again the word of God as recorded in the second chapter 
of Philippians. 

I F there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any 
comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any 
bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like- 
minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of 
one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vain 
glory; but in lowliness of*mind let each esteem other 
better than themselves. Look not every man on his own 
things, but every man also on the things of others. Let 
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery 
to be equal with God: but*made himself of no reputa¬ 
tion, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was 
made in the likeness of men : and being found in fash¬ 
ion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient 
unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God 
also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name 
which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus 
every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things 
in earth, and things under the earth; and that every 
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the 


32 


SCRIPTURE SELECTION'S. 


glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 
have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now 
much more in my absence, work out your own salvation 
with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh 
in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do 
all things without murmurings and disputings : that ye 
may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without 
rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, 
among whom ye shine as lights in the world. 

Selection V. 

Hear the word of God as recorded in the third chapter of Lam¬ 
entations. 

I T is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, 
because his compassions fail not. They are new every 
morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my 
portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the 
soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should 
both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. 
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 
He sitteth alone, and keepeth silence, because he hath 
borne it upon him. He putteth his mouth in the dust; 
if so be there may be hope. He giveth his cheek to him 
that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach. For 
the Lord will not cast off for ever: but though he 
cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the 
multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict will¬ 
ingly, nor grieve the children of men. To crush under 
his feet all the prisoners of the earth; to turn aside the 
right of a man before the face of the Most High; to 
subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not. 

Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the 
Lord commandeth it not? Out of the mouth of the 
Most High proceedeth not evil and good ? Wherefore 
doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment 
of his sins ? Let us search and try our ways, and turn 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


33 


again to the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our 
hands unto Giod in the heavens. 

Hear again the word of God as recorded in the tenth chapter 
of John. 

T HEN said Jesus unto them again, Yerily, verily, Isay 
unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that 
ever came before me are thieves and robbers : but the 
sheep did not hear them. I am the door : by me if any 
man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, 
and find pasture. The thief cometh not but for to steal, 
and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might 
have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 
I am the good shepherd : the good shepherd giveth his 
life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not 
the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the 
wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep and fleeth : and the 
wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hire¬ 
ling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for 
the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, 
and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, 
even so know I the Father : and I lay down my life for 
the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of 
this fold : them also I must bring, and they shall hear 
my voice : and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down 
my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it 
from me, but I lay it down of myself: I have power to 
lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This 
commandment have I received of my Father. 

Selection YI. 

Hear the word of God as recorded in the eighteenth chapter of 
Ezekiel. 

rpiIE soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not 
JL bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the 
father bear the iniquity of the son • the righteousness of 


34 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of 
the wicked shall be upon him. But if the wicked will 
turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep 
all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he 
shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions 
that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto 
him : in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. 
Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die ? 
saitli the Lord God; and not that he should return from 
his ways, and live ? But when the righteous turneth 
away from his righteousness 3 and committeth iniquity, 
and doeth according to all the abominations that the 
wicked man doeth, shall he live ? All his righteousness 
that he hath done shall not be mentioned : in his trespass 
that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath 
sinned, in them shall he die. Yet ye say, The way of 
the Lord is not equal. Hear now, 0 house of Israel, is 
not my way equal ? are not your ways unequal ? When 
a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and 
committeth iniquity, and dieth in them, for his iniquity 
that he hath done, shall he die. Again, when the wicked 
man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath com¬ 
mitted, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall 
save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth 
away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, 
he shall surely live, he shall not die. 

Hear again the word of God as recorded in the seventh chapter 
of Matthew. 

A SK, and it shall be given you 3 seek, and ye shall 
find 3 knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For 
every one that asketh, receiveth 3 and he that seeketh, 
findeth 3 and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. 
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, 
will he give him a stone ? Or if he ask a fish, will he give 
him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to 
give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall 
your Father which is in heaven give good things to them 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


35 

that ask him ? Therefore all things whatsoever ye would 
that men should do to you, do ye even so to them : for 
this is the law and the prophets. 

Enter ye in at the strait gate : for wide is the gate, 
and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and 
many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the 
gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life; and 
few there be that find it. 

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s 
clothing ; but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye 
shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes 
of thorns, or figs of thistles ? Even so every good tree 
bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth 
forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil 
fruit; neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 
Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn 
down, and cast into the fire. Wheiefore by their fruits 
ye shall know them. 

Selection VII. 

Hear the word of God as recorded in the fifty-third chapter of 
Isaiah. 

W HO hath believed our report ? and to whom is the 
arm of the Lord revealed ? For he shall grow 
up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a 
dry ground; he hath no form nor comeliness; and when 
we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should de¬ 
sire him. He is despised and rejected of men, a man 
of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it 
were our faces from him; he was despised, and we es¬ 
teemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and 
carried our sorrows : yet we did esteem him stricken, 
smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for 
our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities : the 
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his 
stripes we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone 
astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and 


36 


SCRIPTURE SELECTION'S. 


the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He 
was oppressed, and he was afflicted; yet he opened not 
his mouth : he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and 
as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not 
his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judg¬ 
ment : and who shall declare his generation ? for he was 
cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgres¬ 
sion of my people was he stricken. And he made his 
grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; 
because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit 
in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; 
he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul 
an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong 
his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in 
his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and 
shall be satisfied : by his knowledge shall my righteous 
servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and 
he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he 
hath poured out his soul unto death; and he was num¬ 
bered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of 
many, and made intercession for the transgressors. 

Hear again the word of God as recorded in the fifth chapter 
of Matthew. 

A ND seeing the multitudes, he went up into a moun¬ 
tain : and when he was set, his disciples came unto 
him : and he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom 
of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn : for they shall 
be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall in¬ 
herit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and 
thirst after righteousness : for they shall be filled. Blessed 
are the merciful : for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed 
are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed 
are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the chil¬ 
dren of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


37 


righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute 
you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, 
for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad : for great 
is your reward in heaven : for so persecuted they the 
prophets which were before you. 

Ye are the salt of the earth : but if the salt have lost 
his savour, wherewith shall it be salted ? It is thenceforth 
good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden 
under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A 
city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men 
light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candle¬ 
stick ; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see 
your good works, and glorify your Father which is in 
heaven. 


Selection YIII. 

Hear the word of God as recorded in the one hundred and third 
Psalm. 

B LESS the Lord, 0 my soul; and all that is within 
me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, 0 my 
soul, and forget not all his benefits : who forgiveth all 
thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who re- 
deemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee 
with loving-kindness and tender mercies ; who satisfieth 
thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is re¬ 
newed like the eagles. The Lord executeth righteous¬ 
ness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made 
known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children 
of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to 
anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always 
chide; neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath 
not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us accor¬ 
ding to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above 
the earth, so great is his mercy towards them that fear 
him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he 
4 


38 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father 
pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear 
him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that 
we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a 
flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind pass- 
eth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall 
know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from 
everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and 
his righteousness unto children’s children; to such as 
keep his covenant, and to those that remember his com¬ 
mandments to do them. The Lord hath prepared his 
throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. 
Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that 
do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his 
word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers 
of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his 
works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O 
my soul. 

Hear again the word of God as recorded in the third chapter of 


J ohn. 



NI) as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 


A even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that 
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have 
eternal life. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only be¬ 
gotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not 
perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his 
Son into the world to condemn the world: but that the 
world through him might be saved. 

He that believeth on him, is not condemned : but he 
that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath 
not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the 
world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because 
their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil 
hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds 
should be reproved. But he that doeth truth, cometh to 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


39 


the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they 
are wrought in God. 

Selection IX. 


Hear the word of God as recorded in the fourth chapter of 
Proverbs. 


E NTER not into the path of the wicked, and go not in 
the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn 
from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they 
have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, un¬ 
less they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of 
wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the 
path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more 
and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked 
is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. 

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto 
my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep 
them in the midst of thy heart. For they are life unto 
those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the 
issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and 
perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look 
right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be es¬ 
tablished. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: 
remove thy foot from evil. 

Hear again the word of God as recorded in the fourteenth 
chapter of John. 

J ESUS answered and said unto him, If a man love me, 
he will keep my words: and my Father will love 
him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode 
with him. lie that loveth me not, keepeth not my say¬ 
ings : and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the 
Father’s which sent me. These things have I spoken 
unto you, being yet present with you. But the Com¬ 
forter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will 
send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring 


40 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said 
unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto 
you : not as the world giveth, give I uuto you. Let not 
your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have 
heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again 
unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I 
said, I go unto the Father : for my Father is greater than 
I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that 
when it is come to pass, ye might believe. Hereafter I 
will not talk much with you : for the prince of this world 
cometh, and hath nothing in me. But that the world 
may know that I love the Father; and as the Father 
gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go 
hence. 

Selection X. 

Hear the word of God as recorded in the seventh chapter of 
Ecclesiastes. 

A GOOD name is better than precious ointment; and 
the day of death than the day of one’s birth. It 
is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to 
the house of feasting : for that is the end of all men; 
and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better 
than laughter : for by the sadness of the countenance the 
heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the 
house of mourning: but the heart of fools is in the house 
of mirth. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, 
than for a man to hear the song of fools. For as the 
crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of 
the fool. This also is vanity. Surely oppression maketh 
a wise man mad ; and a gift destroyeth the heart. Better 
is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; and 
the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth 
in the bosom of fools. Say not thou, What is the cause 
that the former days were better than these ? for thou 
dost not inquire wisely concerning this. 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


41 


Wisdom is good with an inheritance; and by it there is 
profit to them that see the sun. For wisdom is a defence, 
and money is a defence : but the excellency of knowledge 
is that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. Con¬ 
sider the work of God : for who can make that straight 
which he hath made crooked? In the day of prosperity 
be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also 
hath set the one over against the other, to the end that 
man should find nothing after him. 

Hear again the word of God as recorded in the fourth chapter of 
the First Epistle of John. 

B ELOVED, let us love one another: for love is of 
God; and every one that loveth, is born of God, 
and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; 
for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God 
toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son 
into the world that we might live through him. Herein 
is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and 
sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, 
if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one 
another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in 
us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in 
us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have 
seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be 
the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that 
Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in 
God. 

Selection XI. 

Hear the word of God as recorded in the ninety-sixth Psalm. 

O SING unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord 
all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name: 
shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his 
glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. 
For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised : he is to 
be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations 
4 * 


42 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and 
majesty are before him ; strength and beauty are in his 
sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, 0 ye kindreds of the 
people, give unto the Lord glory and strength; give unto 
the Lord the glory due unto his name : bring an offering, 
and come into his courts. O worship the Lord in the 
beauty of holiness : fear before him all the earth. Say 
among the heathen, that the Lord reigneth: the world 
also shall be established that it shall not be moved : he 
shall judge the people righteously. Let the heavens re¬ 
joice, and let the earth be glad ; let the sea roar, and 
the fulness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that 
is therein : then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice be¬ 
fore the Lord : for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the 
earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and 
the people with his truth. 

Hear again the word of God as recorded in the thirteenth chap¬ 
ter of the Epistle of Paul to the Romans. 

R ENDER therefore to all their dues ; tribute to whom 
tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to 
whom fear; honour to whom honour. Owe no man 
any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth 
another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not 
commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, 
Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; 
and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly com¬ 
prehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy 
neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neigh¬ 
bour : therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And 
that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake 
out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when 
we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand : 
let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us 
put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in 
the day; notin rioting and drunkenness, notin chamber¬ 
ing and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put 
ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for 
the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


43 


Selection XII. 


Hear the word of God as recorded in the seventeenth chapter 


of Jeremiah. 


HUS saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth 



I in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart 
departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath 
in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but 
shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a 
salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that 
trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For 
he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that 
spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see 
when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall 
not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease 
from yielding fruit. 

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately 
wicked : who can know it ? I the Lord search the heart, 
I try the reins, even to give every man according to his 
ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. As the 
partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he 
that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in 
the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. 

A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place 
of our sanctuary. O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that 
forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from 
me shall be written in the earth, because they have for¬ 
saken the Lord, the fountain of living waters. Heal me, 
O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be 
saved : for thou art my praise. 

Hear again the word of God as recorded in the fifth chapter 
of the First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians. 

rpHEREFORE let us not sleep, as do others; but let 


us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep 
in the night; and they that be drunken, are drunken in 
the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, put¬ 
ting on the breast-plate of faith and love; and for a hel- 


44 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


met, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed 
us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, 
we should live together with him. Wherefore, comfort 
yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also 
ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them 
which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, 
and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in 
love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among your¬ 
selves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that 
are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, 
be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for 
evil unto any man ; but ever follow that which is good, 
both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice ever¬ 
more. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give 
thanks : for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus con¬ 
cerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not pro- 
phesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is 
good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the 
very God of peace sanctify you wholly ; and I pray God 
your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blame¬ 
less unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Selection XIII. 

Hear the word of God as recorded in the nineteenth Psalm. 

rpHE heavens declare the glory of God ; and the firma- 
1 ment sheweth his handy-work. Day unto day utter- 
eth speech, night unto night sheweth knowledge. There 
is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 
Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their 
words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a 
tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming 
out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run 
a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, 
and his cirquit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing 
hid from the heat thereof. The law of the Lord is per¬ 
fect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is 


t 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


45 


sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord 
are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the 
Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the 
Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the 
Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be de¬ 
sired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: 
sweeter also than honey and the honey-comb. Moreover, 
by them is thy servant warned : and in keeping of them 
there is great reward. Who can understand his errors ? 
cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy ser¬ 
vant also from presumptuous sins ) let them not have do¬ 
minion over me : then shall I be upright, and I shall be 
innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of 
my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable 
in thy sight, 0 Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. 

Hear again the word of God as recorded in the twenty-fifth 
chapter of Matthew. 

W HEN the Son of man shall come in his glory, and 
all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon 
the throne of his glory : and before him shall be gathered 
all nations : and he shall separate them one from another, 
as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he 
shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on 
the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his 
right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the 
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the 
world : for I was a hungered, and ye gave me meat: I 
was thirsty, and ye gave me drink : I was a stranger, and 
ye took me in : naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, 
and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto 
me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, 
when saw we thee a hungered, and fed thee ? or thirsty, 
and gave thee drink ? When saw we thee a stranger, and 
took thee in ? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw 
we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee ? And 
the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say 
uuto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the 


46 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, De¬ 
part from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared 
for the devil and his angels: for I was a hungered, and 
ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no 
drink : I was a stranger, and ye took me not in : naked, 
and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited 
me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, 
when saw we thee a hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, 
or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto 
thee ? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say 
unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least 
of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away 
into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life 
eternal. 


Selection XIV. 

Hear the word of God as recorded in the twenty-third chapter 
of Proverbs. 

M Y son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, 
even mine. Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy 
lips speak right things. Let not thine heart envy sin¬ 
ners, but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.. 
For surely there is an end ; and thine expectation shall 
not be cut off. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and 
guide thine heart in the way. Be not amongst wine-bib¬ 
bers \ amongst riotous eaters of flesh : for the drunkard 
and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness 
shall clothe a man with rags. Hearken unto thy father 
that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is 
old. Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and 
instruction, and understanding. The father of the right¬ 
eous shall greatly rejoice ; and he that begetteth a wise 
child shall have joy of him. Thy father and thy mother 
shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. My 
son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my 
ways. For an whore is a deep ditch; and a strange 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


47 


woman is a narrow pit. She also lieth in wait as for a 
prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men. Who 
hath woe ? who hath sorrow ? who hath contentions ? 
who hath babbling ? who hath wounds without cause ? 
who hath redness of eyes ? They that tarry long at the 
wine, they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou 
upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour 
in the cup, when it moveth itself aright: at the last it 
biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine 
eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall 
utter perverse things : yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth 
down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon 
the top of the mast. 

Hear again the word of God as recorded in the twelfth chapter 
of Luke. 

F OR there is nothing covered, that shall not be re¬ 
vealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. 
Therefore, whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall 
be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in 
the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the house-tops. 
And I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them 
that kill the body, and after that, have no more that 
they can do : but I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear : 
Fear him, which after he hath killed, hath power to cast 
into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five 
sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is 
forgotten before God ? But even the very hairs of your 
head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore: ye are of 
more value than many sparrows. Also I say unto you, 
Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son 
of man also confess before the angels of God: but he 
that denieth me before men, shall be denied before the 
angels of God. 


48 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


Selection XV. 

Hear the word of God as recorded in the tenth chapter of 
Deuteronomy. 

A ND now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require 
of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in 
all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy 
God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the 
commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I 
command thee this day, for thy good ? Behold, the hea¬ 
ven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s thy God, 
the earth also, with all that therein is. Only the Lord 
had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose 
their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is 
this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, 
and be no more stiff-necked. For the Lord your God is 
God of gods and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, 
and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh 
reward : he doth execute the judgment of the fatherless 
and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food 
and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye 
were strangers in the land of Egypt. Thou shalt fear 
the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him 
shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. He is thy 
praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these 
great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen. 

Hear again the word of God as recorded in the twelfth chapter 
of the Epistle to the Romans. 

L ET love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which 
is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly 
affectioned one to another with brotherly love ; in honour 
preferring one another; not slothful in business; fervent 
in spirit; serving the Lord ; rejoicing in hope; patient 
in tribulation ; continuing instant in prayer ; distributing 
to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless 
them which persecute you; bless, and curse not. Re¬ 
joice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


49 


that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. 
Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low es¬ 
tate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense 
to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the 
sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in 
you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge 
not yourselves ; but rather give place unto wrath : for it 
is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the 
Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if 
he thirst, give him drink : for in so doing thou shalt 
heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, 
but overcome evil with good. 

Selection XVI. 

Ilear the word of God as recorded in the hundred and eleventh 
Psalm. 

P RAISE ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my 
whole heart in the assembly of the upright, and 
in the congregation. The works of the Lord are great, 
sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. His 
work is honourable and glorious : and his righteousness 
endureth for ever. He hath made his wonderful works 
to be remembered : the Lord is gracious, and full of com¬ 
passion. He hath given meat unto them that fear him : 
he will ever be mindful of his covenant. He hath 
showed the people the power of his works, that he may 
give them the heritage of the heathen. The works of 
his hands are verity and judgment: all his commandments 
are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done 
in truth and uprightness. He sent redemption unto his 
people ) he hath commanded his covenant for ever ; holy 
and reverend is his name. The fear of the Lord is the 
beginning of wisdom : a good understanding have all they 
that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. 
5 


50 


SCEIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


Hear again the word of God as recorded in the second chapter of 
the Epistle to the Ephesians. 

F OR by grace are ye saved through faith ; and that not 
of yourselves; it is the gift of God : not of works, 
lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, 
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath 
before ordained that we should walk in them. Where¬ 
fore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the 
flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is 
called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that 
at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from 
the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the cov¬ 
enants of promise, having no hope, and without God in 
the world: but now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes 
were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For 
he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath 
broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 
having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law 
of commandments contained in ordinances ; for to make 
in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and 
that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by 
the cross, having slain the enmity thereby; and came and 
preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them 
that were nigh. For through him we both have ac¬ 
cess by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye 
are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens 
with the saitfts, and of the household of God; and are 
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, 
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; in 
whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth 
unto a holy temple in the Lord : in whom ye also are 
builded together for a habitation of God through the 
Spirit. 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


51 


Selection XVII. 

Hear the word of God as recorded in the first chapter of 
Proverbs. 

f piIE fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge : 
JL but fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, 
hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the 
law of thy mother : for they shall be an ornament of grace 
unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. My son, if 
sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, Come 
with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for 
the innocent without cause: let us swallow them up 
alive, as the grave; and whole as those that go down 
into the pit: we shall find all precious substance, we 
shall fill our houses with spoil: cast in thy lot among us; 
let us all have one purse. My son, walk not thou in the 
way with them ; refrain thy foot from their path : for 
their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood: 
(surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird :) 
and they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily 
for their own lives. So are the ways of every one that 
is greedy of gain ; which taketh away the life of the 
owners thereof. Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth 
her voice in the streets: she crieth in the chief place of 
concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she 
uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, 
will ye love simplicity, and the scorners delight in their 
scorning, and fools hate knowledge ? Turn you at my re¬ 
proof ; behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto you, I will 
make known my words unto you. 

Hear again the word of God as recorded in the fourth chapter 
of the Epistle of James. 

S UBMIT yourselves therefore to God. Resist the 
devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to 
God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, 
ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. 
Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep : let your laughter be 


52 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble 
yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you 
up. Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that 
speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, 
speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law : but if 
thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but 
a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save, and 
to destroy: who art thou that judgest another ? Go to 
now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into 
such a city, and continue there a year, and buy, and sell, 
and get gain : whereas ye know not what shall be on the 
morrow. For what is your life ? It is even a vapour, 
that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 
For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, 
and do this, or that. Hut now ye rejoice in your boast¬ 
ings : all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that 
knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. 

Selection XYIII. 

Hear the word of God as recorded in the one hundred and six¬ 
teenth Psalm. 

I LOVE the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and 
my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear 
unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. 
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of 
hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. 
Then called I upon the name of the Lord ; O Lord, I 
beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the Lord, 
and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The Lord 
preserveth the simple : I was brought low, and he helped 
me. Return unto thy rest, 0 my soul; for the Lord 
hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered 
my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet 
from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of 
the living. I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was 
greatly afflicted: I said in my haste, All men are liars. 
What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits to- 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


53 


ward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call 
upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto 
the Lord now in the presence of all his people. Precious 
in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. O 
Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the 
son of thy handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. I 
will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will 
call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows 
unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people, in 
the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of thee, O 
Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord. 

Hear again the word of God as recorded in the first chapter 
of the First Epistle of Peter. 

W HEREFORE gird up the loins of your mind, be 
sober, and hope to the end for the grace that 
is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus 
Christ: as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves 
according to the former lusts in your ignorance. But as 
he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all 
manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye 
holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who 
without respect of persons judgeth according to every 
man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 
forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with 
corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain con¬ 
versation received by tradition from your fathers; but 
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without 
blemish and without spot: who verily was fore-ordained 
before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in 
these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, 
that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; 
that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing 
ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through 
the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that 
ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being 
born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, 
by the word of God, which liveth and abide th for ever. 
5 * 


54 


SCRIPTURE SELECTIONS. 


For all flesh is as^grass, and all the glory of man as the 
flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower 
thereof falleth away : but the word of the Lord endureth 
for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is 
preached unto you. 


PLAIN AND SHORT DISCOURSES 


ON THE 


PRINCIPAL DOCTRINES OF THE GOSPEL. 

ABRIDGED FROM “VILLAGE SERMONS,” 

BY GEORGE BURDER. 


( 55 ) 


















•s 



PLAIN AND SHORT DISCOURSES 


ON THE 

PRINCIPAL DOCTRINES OF THE GOSPEL. 


SERMON I. 

THE CONVERSION OF THE JAILER. 

Acts xvi. 30, 31. Sirs, what must 1 do to be saved ? Aod 
they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt 
be saved. 

T HE question I have read to you was asked by the 
Jailer at Philippi, and the answer was given by Paul 
and Silas. The case was this : Paul and Silas were taken 
up for preaching the gospel, and brought before the rulers. 
The rulers unjustly caused them to be severely whipped, 
and then u cast them into prison, charging the jailer to 
keep them safely; who, having received such a charge, 
thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet 
fast in the stocks/ 7 

But these good men were not unhappy; their Master 
was with them, according to his gracious promise, and 
filled their hearts with joy; so that, even at midnight, 
they could not refrain from singing praises to God; and 
their fellow-prisoners, in other dungeons, heard them with 
surprise. 

Just then, that God might show his regard to them, 
and his anger against their persecutors, there was, all on 

( 57 ) 



58 THE CONVERSION OF THE JAILER. 


a sudden, a very great and awful earthquake, so that the 
foundations of the prison were shaken by it. At the 
same time, all the doors flew open j and all the bands 
and fetters that were on them, and the rest of the prison¬ 
ers, dropped off at once. 

The keeper of the jail, starting up from his sleep, and 
finding the prisoners at liberty, was so terrified lest he 
should be charged with a breach of trust in letting them 
escape, that he drew his sword, and was going to stab 
himself. 

But Paul, knowing his wicked design, and moved with 
pity for him, though he had used them so ill, cried out 
aloud, “ Do thyself no harm, for we are all here.” The 
jailer, calling for a light, ran with all speed into the inner 
prison; and being full of horror at such an appearance 
of God in favour of his servants, and, at the same time, 
struck by the Holy Spirit with a deep conviction of his 
own guilt and danger, he threw himself on the ground 
before them, and asked their direction for the relief of 
his soul, in the words of our text: “ Sirs, what must I 
do to be saved ?” A more important question was never 
asked. It becomes every one to make the inquiry; and 
if any one of you has never before seriously made it, 
God grant you may do so now! The answer given, and 
the only proper answer that could be given, was, “ Be¬ 
lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thoushalt be saved.” 
May the Lord assist us, while we consider these two parts 
of the text! 

I. An important question. 

II. A gospel answer. 

I. The question. It is in few words, but they are full 
of meaning. Let us examine it. And I shall consider 
it, first, 

As the language of conviction. By conviction, I mean 
the work of the Holy Spirit on the mind of a sinner, 
whereby he is convinced that he is a sinner, and is pro¬ 
perly affected with it. Without this, people try to excuse 


. THE CONVERSION OF THE JAILER. 59 

or lessen their sins. Some lay the blame of their sin 
upon others, as Adam did upon Eve, and as Eve did 
upon the serpent. People in general think very little, 
and very lightly of their sin. Some even make a mock 
at sin, and glory in it. This is a sad state to be in. 
Such persons are very far from God, and have no re¬ 
ligion at all, whatever they may pretend to have. Such 
were the Pharisees, who were thought to be very religious; 
but they generally despised and opposed Jesus Christ; 
for, as he told them, “ the whole need not a physician, 
but those who are sick.” 

But it is a good thing to be sensible of our sin. It is 
the first work of God upon the soul to make-us so. 
For this purpose we must consider the holy law of God 
contained in the Ten Commandments. “ By the law is 
the knowledge of sin, ”and, “ Sin is the transgression of 
the law.” Thus Paul himself came to see he was a 
sinner, as he tells us, Bom. vii. 9. “ I was alive without 
the law once; but when the commandment came, sin 
revived, and I died.” If ever we have broken the law, 
even once in our lives, we are sinners; for as it is writ¬ 
ten, Gal. iii. 10. “ Cursed is every one that continueth 
not in all things, written in the book of the law, to do 
them.” Now who is there, that can pretend to say, he 
never sinned in all his life ? Do you not confess, when 
you pray, that you are miserable sinners ? But it is one 
thing to say so, merely in a customary way ; and another, 
to be seriously convinced of it, and deeply affected 
with it. 

The Holy Spirit not only brings us to admit, what we 
can hardly deny, that we have sinned; but he also shows 
us, that we have sinned much and often; that we have 
sinned in our hearts thousands of times, when we have 
not seemed to others to sin. 

He also shows us the very great evil there is in sin. 
He shows us what abominable ingratitude there is in it; 
for “ God has nourished us, and brought us up as chil- 


60 THE CONVERSION OF THE JAILER. 


dren, and we have rebelled against him.” He shows 
what a base and filthy thing sin is; that it makes us 
hateful and abominable in his sight, viler than the brutes 
that perish. And he also shows us the danger there is 
in sin. “ The wages of sin is death.” Sin brought all 
our miseries into the world. It is owing to sin that we 
must all die, and return to dust; and, what is worse, sin 
exposes us to the wrath of God and the flames of hell 
for ever. Now the jailer saw all this, and therefore 
cried out, “ What must I do to be saved ?” And this 
leads me next to observe, that 

This question bespeaks Fear. Yes, my brethren, it is 
the language of fear : it is the language of terror and 
consternation. W henever we are alarmed at the approach 
of some dreadful evil, it is natural to cry, What shall I 
do? And have not sinners much to fear ? Is it not u a 
fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God ?” 
Oh ! consider who he is that we have provoked by our 
sins. It is the great, the Almighty God, who made the 
world with a word, and can crush it in a moment. It 
is “ the Lord, who hath his way in the whirlwind and 
in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. 
The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the 
earth is burned, at his presence. Who can stand before 
his indignation ? and who can abide the fierceness of his 
anger?” Nahum i. 3—6. This is that dreadful God, 
who hath said, “ that the wicked shall be turned into 
hell, with all who forget him.” Shall we not fear him 
then? Shall we not tremble at his presence ? “Yea,” 
saith the Lord, “ I say unto you, Fear him who can not 
only kill the body, but cast both body and soul into hell.” 
Oh! how would you shudder to see a fellow-creature burn¬ 
ing at a stake! how would you wish that death would 
speedily end his pain ! But how would you feel, to see 
him burn a whole hour, a whole day, a whole week, and 
all the time filling the air with horrid shrieks, and cry¬ 
ing in vain for ease or death ? Horrid as this would be, 


/ 


THE CONVERSION OF THE JAILER. 61 

it gives but a faint idea of hell; that dreadful place of 
torment, “ where the worm dieth not, and where the fire 
is not quenched.” It was the dread of this that made 
the jailer cry, “ What must I do to be saved ?” And it 
was well for him, that he foresaw the evil, and found a 
refuge from it. God grant wo may all do the same. 
But there is more in the question. 

It is also the language of Desire ; earnest, ardent, de¬ 
sire. The natural mau desires only carnal things. 
What shall I eat, what shall I drink, what shall I wear ? 
How may I be rich, and happy, and respected ? or, as 
the psalmist expresses it, “ Who will show me any good 
any worldly good, any temporary good ? But “ that 
which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.” The awakened 
soul has new desires; or, rather, all his desires are brought 
into one, and that one is salvation. “ What shall I do 
to be saved ? to be delivered from the wrath to come ; to 
have my sins pardoned ; to be restored to the divine 
favor ?” This is now “ the one thing needful.” With¬ 
out this, all other things are of no value; they are less 
than nothing, and vanity, compared with salvation. This 
earnest desire will soon be expressed in prayer. For the 
sinner knows that salvation can come only from God; 
and, as it was remarked by Christ himself, concerning 
Saul when converted, “ Behold, he prayeth !” so it will 
always be found, that, the desire of the new-born soul 
will vent itself in prayer. Those who live without 
prayer, are strangers to this desire, and are totally desti¬ 
tute of religion. 

Once more, we may observe, that the jailer’s question 
includes a Confession of his Ignorance. He wanted to 
be saved, but he knew not how ; nor can any man know 
this aright till he is taught of God. It is the true 
character of natural men, as mentioned, Bom. iii. 17, 
that “ the way of peace they have not known.” By the 
fall of man, in Adam, “ darkness has covered the earth, 
and gross darkness the people.” And this is the state, 

6 


62 THE CONVERSION OF THE JAILER. 

not only of the blind Heathen, who have not the Bible, 
but of a great many called Christians. How many are 
there among us , who are entirely ignorant of the way in 
which poor sinners are saved by Jesus Christ! But, to 
remove this fatal darkness, Christ, the Sun of Righteous¬ 
ness, hath arisen upon the earth. He is the light of 
the world; and he has commanded his ministers to 
u preach the gospel to every creature.” Paul and Silas 
were so employed before they were cast into prison. It 
had been declared in the city concerning them—“ These 
men are the servants of the most High God, which show 
unto us the way of salvation,” ver. 17. As soon, there¬ 
fore, as the jailer was convinced of his need of salvation 
and his ignorance, he earnestly desires to be taught by 
them. He no longer reviles and abuses these ministers 
of Christ, but applies to them for instruction. And 
thus it will be with all who are truly serious. They will 
not mock at preachers of the gospel, but rather “ stand 
in the way, and see, and ask for the old paths; where is 
the good way, that they may walk therein, and find rest 
for their souls,” Jer. vi. 16. And now say, my friends, 
whether you have ever felt in your minds this earnest 
desire to know the way of God more perfectly. For 
this end, do you bow your knees to God in prayer? Do 
you read your Bible for this purpose ? And with this 
view do you go to hear the ministers of Christ? Be 
assured, this is the pursuit of all who are under divine 
influence. 

Finally, I consider this question as the language of Sub¬ 
mission. Poor man ! his heart was alarmed with fear, 
and humbled for sin. He saw nothing but eternal de¬ 
struction before him, and would give all the world to 
avoid it: and therefore he cries, What shall I do ? As 
if he had said, Show me my duty, and let it be ever so 
hard and difficult, I am ready to do it. I would go 
through fire or water, so that my precious soul may be 
saved. And is it so with you ? Are you willing to part 


THE CONVERSION OF THE JAILER. 63 


with your sins ? Depend upon it you are not in the way 
to salvation till you are willing to part with all for Christ: 
and if you are, how gladly will you hear the true way to 
salvation, as declared by these inspired servants of our 
Lord ! This is contained in the second part of our sub¬ 
ject ; or, 

II. The gospel answer, given to the jailer’s question. 
This short and plain answer is the only true one that can 
be given to the important inquiry ; and it is of vast im¬ 
portance that a convinced soul be led in the right way. 

Observe, Who it is that Paul recommends to the 
notice of this distressed man. It is the Lord Jesus 
Christ. It is the Lord —the maker of heaven and 
earth, Col. i. 16;—“the Lord of all,” Acts x. 30, who 
came down from heaven. The “ Son of God,” who be¬ 
came “ the Son of Man,” that we, the children of men, 
might become the children of God. His name is called 
Jesus, which signifies a Saviour , and he was so called, 
because “ he came to save us from our sins,” Matt. i. 21. 
Yes, “this is, indeed, a faithful saying, and worthy of 
all acceptation, that Jesus came into the world to save 
sinners.” He is also called Christ, or the Messiah, 
long promised, and long expected by the Jews; and it sig¬ 
nifies the Anointed , which implies that he was every way 
qualified for the work of salvation, and appointed to it. 
This then is the glorious person, to whom a sinner is di¬ 
rected to look for salvation. Believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ. He exhorts him to believe. What is to believe on 
him ? I answer, it is to believe all that God says in the 
gospel concerning him, so as to look to him alone for salva¬ 
tion. Faith is explained by conning to Christ ; it is the ap¬ 
plication of the mind to him for relief. It is called re¬ 
ceiving Christ; the soul accepts him as held forth in the 
gospel, in all his saving characters and offices. It is a 
committing the soul to him, knowing there is salvation in 
him, and in no other, and humbly relying on his love 
and faithfulness to preserve it unto eternal salvation. But 


i 


64 THE CONVERSION OF THE JAILER. 


the nature of faith will he more fully considered here¬ 
after. 

Observe, further, the comfortable assurance that is here 
given to the distressed jailer. Thou shalt he saved. 
Salvation was what he longed for. He wanted to know 
the way of it. He is directed to Jesus as the Saviour, 
and to believe on him, as the way of being saved by him ; 
and in so doing, he is assured that salvation shall be his. 
Blessed be God for many precious promises to this pur¬ 
pose in his word. Hear what Jesus Christ himself saith, 
John iii. 36, u He that believeth on the Son hath ever¬ 
lasting life.” And in another place, John vi. 40, “This 
is the will of him that sent me, that every one that seeth 
the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting 
life.” 

Application. —And now, my friends, let me ask you, 
Are you concerned about your souls ? Were you ever 
brought, like the jailer, to ask, with seriousness, with 
earnestness of soul, What must I do to be saved ? Are 
you not sinners ? Are you not dying sinners ? Must 
you not soon appear before your Judge ? What, then, 
will you plead ? Are you ready for the solemn trial ? Oh, 
consider these things ! trifle no longer with your souls ! 
Eternity is at hand, heaven or hell will soon be your 
portion. And can you be unconcerned ? Be assured, 
that serious consideration and deep conviction are abso¬ 
lutely necessary. There is no real religion without 
these. If you never felt a concern for the salvation of 
your souls—if you never felt a desire to know how you 
must be saved, you are yet strangers to any true religion. 
You are Christians only in name. You are far from 
God, and in a most dangerous condition. Oh then, look 
up to God for the teaching of his Spirit; beg him to take 
away your heart of stone, and to make you truly desirous 
of his salvation. 

If you are concerned about your soul, which way do 
you look for help ? If you would be saved, what course 


REGENERATION. 


65 


do you take ? Do you say, (( I must repent and reform V* 
It is true ; so you must. But do you think that repen¬ 
tance, or reformation is sufficient to save your soul ? No : 
Jesus is the only Saviour. The apostles directed sinners 
to believe in him. That is your first business. Pray for 
faith. It is the gift of God; and he will give it you, if 
you will ask him. And if you truly believe, repentance 
and reformation will surely follow, together with all good 
works, by which a true faith is as certainly known as a 
tree is discerned by its fruits. How soon did the jailer 
prove the truth of his faith in this manner! He showed 
the utmost readiness to hear the gospel preached by the 
ministers of Christ; and he joined to works of piety, 
those of charity; “ he took Paul and Silas, the same 
hour of the night, and washed their stripes;” he also 
took upon himself the full profession of this new and 
despised religion, by being baptized, and so separating 
himself from all his heathen neighbours. Then let us 
immediately separate ourselves from the vain world, and 
boldly confess to whom we belong; while we show the 
strongest affection to the ministers and people of God. 


SERMON II. 

REGENERATION, OR THE NEW BIRTH. 

John iii. 3. Jesus answered, and said unto him, Verily, verily, 
I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see 
the kingdom of God. 

rpHE new birth signifies a great change , made in the 
heart of a sinner by the power of the Holy Spirit. 
It means that something is done in us, and for us, which 
we cannot do for ourselves; something, to which we were 
before strangers; something, whereby we begin to live, 
as we did not live before ; yea, something, whereby such 

6* 




66 


REGENERATION, 


a life begins as shall last for ever; for, as by our first 
birth we are born to die, so, by our second birth, we are 
born to live for ever. 

That we may better understand the new birth, or this 
change of heart, let us more particularly consider, 

I. The nature of this change; and, 

II. The necessity of it. 

I. Let us consider the nature of this change. u It is 
not a change of the substance and faculties of the soul. 
Sin did not destroy the essence of the soul, but its recti¬ 
tude : so grace does not give a new faculty, but a new 
quality. It is not destroying the metal, but the old stamp 
upon it, to imprint a new one. It is not breaking the 
candlestick, but putting a new light in it. It is a new 
stringing the instrument, to make a new harmony. 

It is a great change: or else such a term as u the 
new birth,” or, “a new creation,” or, “resurrection,” 
would not be proper. The greatness of this change is 
elsewhere described by “ passing from darkness to light;” 
yea, by “ passing from death to life.” “ You hath he 
quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” It 
makes a man quite the contrary to what he was before; 
as contrary as East to West; North to South; light to 
darkness; flesh to spirit. It is such a change, as if a 
black man should become white; or a lion become a 
lamb. In a word, God takes away the heart of stone, 
and gives a heart of flesh. 

It is an inward change. It will indeed produce an 
outward change, if the life was before immoral; but 
there may be strict morality without this inward change. 
Reformation is not Regeneration, though too often mis¬ 
taken for it. It is a change of heart. We must be “ re¬ 
newed in the spirit of our mind,” Eph. iv. 23. “ Man 

looks at the outward appearance, but God looketh at the 
heart,” God has promised to give his people “a new 
heart;” and the penitent psalmist prays for it—“ Create 
in me a clean heart, 0 God! and renew a right spirit 


OR THE NEW BIRTH. 


67 


within me.” Without this there is no true change. 
“ The spring and wheels of a clock must be mended, be¬ 
fore the hand of the dial will stand right. It may stand 
right twice in the day, when the time of the day comes to 
it, but not from any motion or rectitude in itself. So a 
man may seem by one or two actions to be a changed 
man; but the inward spring being amiss, it is but a deceit.” 
Many people abstain from some sins, and perform some 
duties, for the sake of health, reputation, or profit; but 
in the new creature there is a change of principle. The 
principle of a new creature is faith, u faith working by 
love,” and this abides. He is not like a clock that is 
wound up, and goes only while it is acted upon by the 
weights; but, having the Spirit of God within him, and 
the life of God in his soul, grace is as “ a well of water, 
springing up into everlasting life.” 

There is in the new creature a change of the end he 
has in view, as well as the principle from which he acts. 
“ The glory of God is the end of the new man : self is 
the end of the old man.” Nothing is a greater evidence 
of being born again, than to be taken off the old centre 
of self, and to aim at the glory of God in everything, 
whether we eat or drink, whether we are in private or 
public, whether we are engaged in religious or in common 
affairs ; to desire and aim sincerely at the glory of God ; 
knowing that “ we are not our own, but bought with a 
price, we are to glorify God with our body, soul, and 
spirit, all which are his.” 

He has new thoughts of God. Before, he lived, in a 
great measure, “ without God in the world;” without any 
true knowledge of God; without any proper regard to 
God; and was ready to think God “altogether such a 
one as himself.” But now he sees that with God there 
is u terrible majesty,” perfect purity, strict justice, and 
that he is indeed greatly to be feared. Now he knows 
that God's eye is always upon him; and that, if He were 
to enter into judgment with him, he could never stand. 


68 


RE GENERATION, 


But lie learns also from the gospel, that God in Christ is 
full of grace, and goodness, and love; so that, t( he fears 
the Lord and his goodness.” 

The new creature has very different thoughts of himself. 
He once acted as his own master ; followed his own wicked 
will; was ready to excuse his worst actions; thought 
lightly of his sins; perhaps gloried in his shame. Now 
he sees the evil of his former ways; he mourns sincerely 
for his sins; he sees the badness of his heart from whence 
they flowed; he ranks himself among the chief of sin¬ 
ners ; he wonders at his former boldness in sin; and he 
wonders more at the patience of God, in not cutting him 
off with some sudden stroke of his judgment. In short, 
he cries, “ Behold, I am vile. I abhor myself, and re¬ 
pent in dust and ashes.” 

The new creature has new thoughts of the world ; of 
the men of it, and the things of it. Once he loved the 
company of profane and unclean persons; now he shuns 
them as he would the plague; and his language is, “ Depart 
from me, ye wicked men, for I will keep the command¬ 
ments of my God.” Before, he hated the very sight of 
a godly person; now, his heart unites with those who 
fear the Lord; he thinks them “ the excellent of the 
earth,” wishiug to live and die with them. How differ¬ 
ent also are his views of the things of the world ! Once 
they were his only portion. He sighed to be great; he 
longed to be rich; he panted for pleasure. Eating and 
drinking, cards and plays, music and dancing, or some 
other vain amusements, were his dear delight; and to 
enjoy these he would sacrifice everything. Now he sees 
the vanity of them all. He sees their danger. They 
had led him to the brink of ruin; and now he can truly 
say, 

“ These pleasures now no longer please, 

No more delight afford : 

Far from my heart be joys like these, 

Now I have known the Lord!” 


OR THE NEW BIRTH . 


69 


But oh, what new apprehensions has he of Eternity ! 
He hardly ever used to think of it; now it is almost al¬ 
ways on his mind; for now he has that faith, which is 
“ the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things 
not seen.” Now, therefore, he looks not at the things 
that are seen, for he knows they are temporal; but at the 
things which are not seen, for they are eternal. He 
knows that he must live for ever; either in a glorious 
heaven, or in a dreadful hell. Compared, therefore, with 
eternal concerns, all worldly things appear as empty 
shadows, and he considers everything below according to 
the relation it bears to his eternal happiness. 

The new creature has also'very different thoughts of 
Jesus Christ from what he had before. Once he was 
without form and comeliness to him; now he appears 
u the chief among ten thousand, and altogether lovely.” 
He did not wish to hear of him, or read of him, or speak 
of him, except to profane his name: now he can never 
hear enough of him; for he sees, that if ever he is saved, 
he owes it all to Jesus, and therefore “ counts all things 
but loss, that he may know him, and win him, and be 
found in him.” 

He also thinks very differently of religious ordinances. 
He could not bear to keep the Sabbath holy. Either he 
wholly neglected public worship, and took his carnal 
pleasure; or if he came, it was a burden : he did not 
join in prayer; singing, at best, was an amusement; he 
disregarded the word preached, perhaps derided it; and, 
as for private prayer, he hated it. How great the 
change ! Now the Sabbath is his delight, “ the holy of 
the Lord and honourable.” The house of God is his 
home; the word of God his food; the Bible his dear 
companion; and prayer the breath of his soul. 

Thus you see what a change has taken place in his 
views ; and, if time permitted, we might show that these 
new views are attended with new affections; he loves 
what before he hated; he hates what before he loved. 


70 


REGENERATION, 


lie has new desires, new fears, new joys, and new sorrows. 
He makes new resolutions. He is employed in new 
labours. He has new entertainments. He has new 
hopes and prospects. How justly then is he called a new 
creature! 

Having briefly shown the nature of regeneration, let 
us consider, 

II. The necessity of it. Observe how very strongly 
our Lord asserts in the text—“ Verily, verily, I say unto 
thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the 
kingdom of God.” Surely, these words must have great 
weight with us, if we believe the God of truth. But you 
will ask, What is meant by the kingdom of God ? I 
answer, it means the kingdom of grace upon earth, and 
the kingdom of glory in heaven. Now, without the new 
birth, no person whatever can see the kingdom of God. 
It is not said, he may not , or he shall not , but he can¬ 
not ; it is impossible in the nature of things. 

He cannot perform any of the duties. Fallen man is 
ignorant of what is truly good. “ He calls evil good, and 
good evil.” He is, “ to every good work, reprobate,” 
Titus i. 16. And he has a dislike to that which is good. 
“ The carnal mind is enmity against God,” and shows its 
enmity by rebellion against the law of God, Rom. viii. 7. 
Now, remaining in this state, he cannot answer the end 
of his being, which is to glorify God; and having this 
unfitness and unwillingness to answer that end, there is 
au absolute, a universal necessity for this change. It 
is “in Christ Jesus we are created to good works.” We 
cannot u pray in the Spirit,” till we are “ born of the 
Spirit;” we cannot “ sing with grace in our hearts,” till 
we have grace; we cannot worship God in the Spirit,” 
while we are in the flesh. A dead sinner cannot present 
“ a living sacrifice.” The duties of a natural man are 
lifeless and selfish; “he cannot serve God spiritually,” 
because he is carnal; nor graciously, for he is corrupt; 
nor vitally, because he is dead; nor freely, for he is enmity 


OR THE NEW BI.RTH. 


71 


against God; nor delightfully, for his heart is alienated ; 
nor sincerely, for his heart is deceit; nor acceptably, 
“ for he that is in the flesh cannot please God.” 

In like manner the unregenerate person cannot enjoy 
any of the blessed privileges of the gospel state. He 
knows nothing of the joys of salvation. He is a stranger 
to the peace of the gospel. He has no relish for the sin¬ 
cere milk of the word. He cannot delight in prayer ; 
nor enjoy communion with God, or communion with the 
saints, for things that are not natural can never be de¬ 
lightful. And this also makes it plain, that 

The unrenewed man cannot see the kingdom of glory . 
The new birth does not indeed entitle a person to heaven ; 
but it makes him u meet for the inheritance of the saints 
in light.” The unrenewed sinner is shut out from heaven 
by the unalterable determination of God himself, who has 
declared, that “ nothing which defileth” shall enter that 
place, and that “ without holiness no man shall see the 
Lord.” 

And if you consider what the joys and employments 
of heaven are, and what the disposition of a sinner is, it 
will plainly appear that he cannot see the kingdom of 
God. “ The happiness of heaven is holiness; and to talk 
of being happy without it, is as great nonsense as to talk 
of being well without health, or being saved without sal¬ 
vation.” People are ready to think, if they go to heaven 
they must be happy; but, without a new nature, a man 
might be as much out of his element in heaven, as a fish, 
out of the bottom of the sea, would be in a green meadow, 
or an ox in the bottom of the sea. Can a wicked man, 
who now hates the godly, expect to be happy among none 
but saints ? Can he, who cannot keep three hours of 
the Sabbath holy, bear to keep an eternal Sabbath ? Can 
he, who now curses and swears, imagine that his tongue 
shall be for ever employed in praising God ? Can he, 
who now hates to think of God, love to employ his mind 
in the eternal contemplation of him ? No, no. Hell is 


72 


REGENERATION. 


tlie sinner’s u own placethere he will have his own 
company, and, in some measure, his old employments, 
though without the pleasure of them; but as to heaven, 
he can never see it till he be born again. 

Application. —From what was first said of the na¬ 
ture of the new birth, let us learn to avoid the common mis¬ 
take, that baptism is regeneration. It is the sign of it, but 
not the thing itself. We must “ be born of water and of the 
Spirit,” John iii. 5; that is, of the Holy Spirit, whose 
grace is to the soul, what water is to the body. Take 
not the shadow for the substance. Can baptism change 
the heart ? Has it chauged yours ? Say, poor sinner, 
how is it with you ? Conscience will tell you, “ Old 
things are not passed away; all things are not become 
new.” Do any of you live in drunkenness, profaneness, 
Sabbath-breaking, whoredom, or any other sin ? Or do 
you live unconcerned about your soul, careless about sal¬ 
vation, without Christ, without prayer? Know for certain, 
that you are yet a stranger to this great and blessed 
change. And yet without it, the God of truth assures 
you, it is impossible for you to be saved. You must be 
born again. Do not think that outward reformation, or 
morality, or religious professions, or religious duties, are 
sufficient. All these are far short of this inward, spirit¬ 
ual change. You must be born again. As sure as there 
is a God in heaven, you must be born again, or you can 
never go to heaven. And can you bear the thought of 
being shut out ? Put the question to yourself. “ Can I 
dwell with everlasting burnings ? Can I endure eternal 
darkness ? Can I bear to be eternally separated from the 
blessed God ? Is my present sinful, sensual life to be 
preferred before eternal joys ? Is there one text in the 
Bible to give me comfort in this state ?” Oh, that you 
may be so deeply convinced of the immediate necessity 
of this change, that you may, ere you sleep this night, fall 
down on your knees before God, and earnestly desire him to 
make you a new creature ! He can do it in a moment; 
and he has promised his Holy Spirit to them that ask him. 


REPENTANCE. 


73 


SERMON III. 

REPENTANCE. 

Mark vi. 12. And they went out, and preached that men 
should repent. 

I T is remarkable, that whatever different notions men 
have of religion, they all believe that repentance is 
necessary to salvation. But it may be feared, that many 
• mistake its true nature, and take the shadow for the sub- 
.stance. There are also many, who, though they think it 
necessary, delay their repentance to some future period; 
and more than a few die without it, and perish in their 
sins. It is therefore of great importance, that we should 
know wherein true repentance consists; and that we 
should be urged ourselves to repent, that we perish not. 
That repentance, then, which is true and genuine, and 
“ needeth not to be repented of 7 will be found to include 
the four following things : 

I. Conviction of sin. 

II. Contrition for sin. 

III. Confession of sin. 

IV. Conversion from sin. 

I. The first thing that belongs to true repentance is a 
conviction of sin, or a clear sight and feeling sense of our 
sinfulness; without this, there is no repentance, no reli¬ 
gion ; for the gospel may be justly called “ the religion 
of a sinner;” none but sinners can need mercy or repen¬ 
tance; and Jesus Christ expressly declares, “ that he 
came not to call the righteous,” that is, such as the Phari¬ 
sees, who thought themselves righteous, “ but sinners to 
repentance.” Now all men are sinners; not the most 
profane and openly wicked only, but the most moral, re¬ 
ligious, and blameless people among us: for il all have 
sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” 

In general, the repenting sinner is first alarmed on ac- 
7 


74 


REPENTANCE. 


count of some great and open sin, if he has committed 
such; as the woman of Samaria, when Christ charged 
her with adultery; or as Paul was, when convinced of 
his murderous persecution of the saints. But conviction 
will not stop here; it will trace the streams of sin to the 
spring, namely, that corrupt nature we brought into the 
world with us. We shall freely confess with David, that 
“we were born in sin, and in iniquity did our mothers 
conceive us,” Psalm li. 5. We shall acknowledge with 
Paul, that “ in us, that is, in our flesh,” our corrupt na¬ 
ture, “ there is no good thing;” but that “ every imagi¬ 
nation of the thought of our hearts is only evil continu¬ 
ally,” Gen. vi. 5. The penitent will readily own he has 
been a rebel against God all his life; that he has indeed 
“ left undone those things which he ought to have done, 
and done those things which he ought not to have done.” 

The law of God is spiritual; it reaches to the most 
secret thoughts, desires, wishes, and purposes of the 
mind. It forbids and condemns the sins of the heart, as 
well as those of the lip and the life. A convinced sinner 
is sensible of heart-sins, thousands and millions of 
them. He sees that his best duties and services are 
mingled with sin; even his prayers, and all his religious 
exercises. He sees that he has, all his life, lived with¬ 
out God in the world, and paid no regard to his will and 
glory; that he has loved himself, the world, and the 
creature, far more than God; and that he has been doing 
all this contrary to light and knowledge; notwithstand¬ 
ing the checks of his conscience, and many resolutions to 
the contrary, and notwithstanding the mercies and the 
judgments which God had sent to reclaim him. Where- 
ever there is this conviction, it will be accompanied with 
contrition. 

II. Contrition, or a genuine sorrow for sin , and pain 
of heart on account of it. This is that “ soft heart,” or 
“ heart of flesh,” which God has promised to give his 
people; instead of that heart of stone, with which we 
are born, and which has no spiritual feeling. 


REPENTANCE. 


75 


“ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken 
and a contrite heart, 0 God, thou wilt not despise,” Psalm 
li. 17. Men despise broken things. So the Pharisee 
despised the broken-hearted Publican in the temple; but 
God did not despise him. So far from it, that he ac¬ 
counts the sorrow and shame of a penitent sinner more 
valuable than many costly sacrifices of rams and bullocks. 
A heart that trembles at the word of God; a heart break¬ 
ing, not in despair, but in humiliation; a heart breaking 
with itself, and breaking away from sin. So Peter, when 
duly affected with the sin of denying his master, “ went 
out and wept bitterly;” and Mary Magdalene, sensible 
of former iniquities, washed her Saviour’s feet with her 
tears. 

There is indeed a false sorrow , which many mistake 
for the true. When a person is sick, and fears he shall 
die, it is not uncommon to hear him say he is sorry for 
sin; and if God will spare his life, he will amend his 
ways. But, too often, such a one is only sorry that God 
is so holy, that the law is so strict, and that he is in 
danger of being damned for his sins. He is not grieved 
that he has offended God, his best friend and benefactor, 
who has followed him with goodness and mercy all his 
life. But the rottenness of this repentance often appears 
when the sick person recovers; when the fright is over, he 
returns to the same carnal course as before. The sorrow is 
no better than that of some criminals at the gallows: 
very sorry they are that they have forfeited their lives; 
but they are not affected with the criminality of their ac¬ 
tions. Felix trembled, but did not repent; and Judas 
was sorry for what he had done, but not in a godly manner. 
And this shows how very uncertain, for the most part, is 
the repentance of a dying bed. God forbid we should 
delay our repentance to that season ! 

But the sorrow of a true penitent is for sin , as com¬ 
mitted against a holy and good God. Such was the peni¬ 
tence of David, who says, Psalm li. 4, “ Against thee 


76 


REPENTANCE. 


only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight.” It 
is true that he had sinned against his fellow-creatures; 
against Uriah, and Bathsheba, and Joab, and all Israel: 
doubtless he lamented this; but what cut him to the 
heart, was his sin against God; that God who had raised 
him from the sheepfold to the throne; who had saved 
him from the hand of Saul, and given him his master’s 
house; and if that had been too little, would have given 
him more ; (for thus Nathan the prophet aggravated his 
sin.) “ Against thee, 0 Lord,” said the broken-hearted 
penitent, “ against thee have I sinned.” Thus, “ the 
goodness of God led him to repentance.” Observe, like¬ 
wise, the tone of the returning prodigal. “ I will arise, 
and go to my father, and say, Father, I have sinned 
against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy 
to be called thy son.” He might have said, Sir, I have 
spent my fortune, hurt my health, become a beggar, and 
am ready to starve; be pleased to relieve me. No; his 
heart was affected with his sin and his folly. So it is with 
a repenting sinner. He considers the majesty of that 
holy being he has offended, the reasonableness of his 
command, the obligation he has broken through, and es¬ 
pecially the base ingratitude of his conduct. 

The goodness of God to a sinner, in the way of provi¬ 
dence, may well excite this godly sorrow; but, how 
much more the consideration of redeeming love ! What! 
did God “ so love the world of rebel men as to send them 
his only begotten Son ?” And did he send his Son, 
“ not to condemn the world, but that the world through 
him might be saved ?” 0 love beyond degree, beyond 

example, beyond expression ! 

Let the penitent also remember Jesus—the innocent, 
the amiable, the benevolent Jesus. Jesus, who left his 
throne of glory, and became a poor and afflicted man. 
Why was he despised and rejected of men ? Why a man 
of sorrows and acquainted with grief? Why had he not 
a place where to lay his blessed head? Why did he en- 


REPENTANCE. 


77 


dure the contradiction of sinners? Why was he op¬ 
pressed and afflicted? Why was his visage so marred 
more than any man, and his form than the sons of men ? 
I know the reason, may the weeping penitent say, “ Surely 
he has borne my griefs, and carried my sorrows ; he was 
wounded for my transgressions, and bruised for my 
iniquities.” 

“ Twas you. my sins, my cruel sins, 

His chief tormenters were ; 

Each of my crimes became a nail, 

And unbelief the spear. 

“ ’Twas you that pull’d the vengeance down, 

Upon his guiltless head ; 

Break, break, my heart, 0 burst, mine eyes, 

And let my sorrows bleed.” 

III. Confession of sin will also be made by the true 
penitent. By nature we are rather disposed to conceal, 
deny, and excuse our sins; to say we are no worse than 
others; that we could not help committing them; and 
that we see no great harm in them. But it is not so, 
where true repentance is found. We shall take the 
advice that Joshua gave to Achan. u My son, give glory 
to the Lord, and make confession to him.” To hide or 
deny our sins, is to dishonour God, as if he did not see, 
or would not punish it; but to coufess our sins, is to 
honour his holy law, which we have broken ; to honour his 
omniscience, which beheld all our crimes; to honour his 
justice, which might take vengeance upon them ; and to 
honour his patience, which has forborne to strike the fatal 
blow. And indeed, a frank and free confession of our 
sins is the best way of finding peace. “ When I kept 
silence,” says the psalmist, “ my bones waxed old through 
my roaring all the day long; but I acknowledged my sin 
to thee, mine iniquity have I not hid ; I said, I will con¬ 
fess my transgressions to the Lord, and thou forgavest 
the iniquity of my sin.” Psalm xxxii. 3, 5. 

7 * 


78 


REPENTANCE. 


Secret sins require only secret confession to that God 
who seeth in secret; but sins that are public and scanda¬ 
lous ought to be more openly acknowledged, that we 
may undo, as far as we can, the evil committed. 

The true penitent is sincere in his public confessions. 
How many call themselves “ miserable sinners,” declare 
that “ the remembrance of their sins is grievous, and 
the burden of them intolerable;” and cry, “Lord have 
mercy upon us, Christ have mercy upon us,” without the 
least sense of evil or burden of iniquity ! This is abom- 
iuable hypocrisy, and adding sin to sin. But the re¬ 
newed soul is truly sincere in his confessions; he finds 
the words of Scripture well adapted to his feelings, and 
can cordially adopt those of Job, “ Behold I am vile; 
I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes;” or the 
words of the Publican, “ God be merciful to me, a sin¬ 
ner )” or the words of Paul, who calls himself “ the chief 
of sinners.” 

We have now considered Conviction, Contrition, and 
Confession, as three essential ingredients in true repent¬ 
ance ; and to these we must add one more : 

IV. Conversion ; which is a forsaking sin, and turning 
from it to God. John the Baptist, that great preacher 
of repentance, exhorted his hearers to “ bring forth fruits 
meet for repentance.” And thus Paul preached both 
to Jews and Gentiles, “that they should repent and turn 
to God, and do works meet for repentance,” Acts xxvi. 
20. Without this, the most humbling expressions and 
confessions, the greatest alarms of conscience or floods 
of tears, will prove insufficient. “ Though Cain’s terror, 
Judas’s confession, Pharaoh’s promises, Ahab’s humilia¬ 
tion, Herod’s hearing John gladly, and doing many 
things, were all combined in one man, they would not 
prove him a real penitent, while the love of one sin re¬ 
mained unmortified in the heart, or the practice of it al¬ 
lowed in his life.” True repentance is not content to 
lop off the branches, but “ lays the axe at the root of the 


RBPENTANC E. 


79 

tree.” The devil may suggest that a beloved sin is but 
a little one, and may be spared; but grace will know, 
that as one small leak may sink a ship, so one indulged 
sin may damn a soul. However dear therefore a lust may 
be, or however hard to be parted with, it must be 
forsaken. So our Lord directs : “ If thy right eye of¬ 
fend thee, pluck it out; if thy right hand offend thee, 
cut it off;” that is, if thine eye or thine hand cause thee to 
offend , or incline thee to sin, turn away thine eye from 
it, as if thou hadst no eye to see it, or hand to practise 
it; and be as willing to part with a beloved lust, as a 
man who has a mortified hand or foot is willing to part 
with it, to preserve his life. “ For it is better to enter 
into life thus maimed, than having two eyes or two hands > 
to be cast into hell, where the worm dieth not, and the 
fire is not quenched.” 

You have a fine instance of true repentance in Zacche- 
us, the converted Publican. When Christ and salvation 
came to his house and heart, he, who had probably been 
a great sinner, stands and says to the Lord, Behold, 
Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I 
have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I 
restore him four-fold.” Here was not only confession of 
sin, but forsaking it. He, who had been an extortioner, 
becomes not only honest, but liberal. He makes resti¬ 
tution; and so will every true penitent. He will undo 
what he has done, if possible. Alas, how many evils is 
it now impossible to undo ! Some poor souls are per¬ 
haps in hell, to whose destruction our wickedness con¬ 
tributed. But grace will enable us to do what is pos¬ 
sible; sin shall not have dominion ; and we shall now be 
as earnest to please and serve God, as once we were to 
serve the devil. 

Application. —Come, then, and be encouraged to in¬ 
stant repentance. God might have cut you off in your sins, 
without a moment’s warning: but he has given you time 
and space for repentance. His very command is encourage- 


80 


REPENTANCE. 


ment. It implies, that “ there is forgiveness with him ;” 
pardon of sin and repentance are inseparably connected. 
u Christ is exalted to give repentance and remission of 
sins.” “ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unright¬ 
eous man his thoughts ; and let him return unto the Lord, 
and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he 
will abundantly pardon.” Only do not suppose that re¬ 
pentance deserves or merits pardon. Salvation is all of 
grace; but this is the order appointed of God; for by 
penitential sorrow, the heart is prepared to receive the 
mercy of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Let the “ goodness of God lead thee to repentance.” 
He delighteth not in the death of a sinner, but rather 
rejoiceth in his return. And our Saviour assures us, that 
u there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, 
more than over ninety and nine just persons who need no 
repentance.” Arise, sinner, for he calleth thee. Does 
your heart begin to relent ? Are you saying, I will arise, 
and go to my father? Arise, then, and go at once. He 
will see thee afar off, and run to meet thee; he waits to 
be gracious, and there shall be joy in heaven, and joy on 
earth, upon thy return. 

Thousands as vile and base as you have found mercy. 
Let not Satan say it is too late; the door is open : nor 
let him say it is too soon. He may say, to-morrow will 
do. God says, to-day; u while it is called to-day,” then, 
hear his voice. To-morrow may be too late. “ This 
night may thy soul be required of thee.” Beware of de¬ 
ferring repentance to a dying bed. Will you not then 
have enough to do, to bear with patience the pain and 
agonies of dissolving nature? Why should you plant 
thorns in your dying pillow ? Why should you not then 
have the peace of God, and the joy of the Holy Ghost, 
to support and comfort your heart ? Who can tell but 
sudden death may be your lot ? if not, extreme pain, or a 
disordered head, may prevent the possibility of repent¬ 
ance. And do not imagine that repentance has anything 


THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN. 81 

in it forbidding. Christ has said, 11 Blessed are they that 
mourn, for they shall be comforted.” The penitent has 
more pleasure in his tears, than the worldling in all his 
gayety. Besides, if the door be strait, it opens into 
boundless pleasures; pleasures not confined to time, but 
which will last to all eternity. God now dwells in the 
contrite heart; and soon shall every true penitent dwell 
with him in paradise. 


SERMON IV. 

THE PHARISEE AND TIIE PUBLICAN. 

Luke xvi. 16.—God be merciful to me a sinner. 

TJB Saviour spake this parable unto certain which 



trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and 


despised' others. Here are two bad things in their char¬ 
acter. 1. They trusted in themselves —which no man 
can do, if he knows the holy law of God; and 2. They 
despised others , which we cannot do, if we know our own 
hearts. The conclusion shows how God dislikes such 
people, while he accepts a poor dejected sinner; for 
“ every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he 
that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Ver. 14. 

“ Two men went up into the temple to pray : the one 
a Pharisee, and the other a Publican.” Yer. 10. The 
Pharisees were a sect of people in those days in high re¬ 
pute for religion ; they separated themselves from others, 
as if more holy : they distinguished themselves by pecu¬ 
liar zeal for ceremonies: but many of them were rank 
hypocrites, neglecting the religion of the heart, and in¬ 
dulging themselves in cruelty and oppression. The Pub¬ 
lican also appeared at the same place, at the same time, 
and on the same errand ; but how different their char¬ 
acters ! Ilad we seen them both together, we should 



82 THE PHARISEE ANDTHE PUBLICAN. 


perhaps have thought far better of the Pharisee than of 
the Publican; “ for man looketh only at the outward ap¬ 
pearance, but God looketh at the heart.” Very different 
motives brought them here. The Pharisee came because 
it was a public place, and he wished to be seen and ad¬ 
mired ; the Publican came because it was “ a house of 
prayer,” and he wanted to pour forth his soul before God. 

“ And the Publican, standing afar off, would not lift 
up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his 
breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner !” By a 
Publican you are not to understand the keeper of a pub¬ 
lic-house, but a tax-gatherer. The Jews were at this 
time subject to the Roman emperor, and paid him taxes, 
which were sometimes farmed by the rich publicans, who, 
in the execution of their office, were too often dishonest 
and oppressive; on account of which, and on account of 
the taxes themselves, which were vexatious to the Jews, 
the name of a publican was abominable, and was classed 
with those of harlots and sinners. 

Whether this Publican was an extortioner, or not, we 
cannot say. Doubtless he was a sinner; and by some 
means or other he became a convinced sinner, a penitent 
sinner, and a praying sinner. Perhaps this was the first 
time that ever he prayed in his life; for sinning gener¬ 
ally keeps men from praying. It is plain that the Spirit 
of God had humbled his heart; and he was one of those 
blessed men, who are “ poor in spirit,” and he was one 
of those blessed mourners, who u shall be comforted.” 

Observe his posture— he stood afar off -—at a great dis¬ 
tance from the holy place, where the priest officiated; he 
knew this became him, for he had lived at a great dis¬ 
tance from God as a sinner; and he knew he de¬ 
served that God should for ever behold him afar off. 

Observe also his dejected looks: he could not look up; 
he thought it would be presumptuous in him to lift up 
his eyes to heaven, the habitation of God’s glory. Other 
sinners have thought the same; David says, Ps. xl. 1U, 


THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN. 83 

u Innumerable evils have compassed me about; mine ini¬ 
quities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able 
to look up;” but those downcast eyes attracted the eyes 
of God; he could not lift up his eyes, but he lifted up 
his heart; and there is no beauty in the sight of God 
greater than blushing for sin. “ For to this man will I 
look/ 7 saith the Lord, “ even to him that is poor, and of 
a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. ;, Isa. lxv. 2. 

Another mark of his repentance was his smiting his 
breast; he knew his heart; he did not think it a good 
heart , as some very ignorant people speak ; no, he knew 
the plague of his heart; he knew it was the seat and 
source of all his sins, and by smiting on his breast he 
seemed as if he would take revenge upon his own 
wicked heart; it expresses his indignation against him¬ 
self, and the vehemence of his anger against sin. Men 
and brethren, what do you know of such a disposition as 
this ? When were you thus angry with yourselves, and 
filled with shame and confusion of face because of your 
sins ? Know this, that such is the temper of all who 
are taught of God; and if you have never felt in this 
manner, you are yet strangers to true repentance. 

Now we come to his prayer. It was very short, but 
very good : no man ever offered a better, or to better pur¬ 
pose. Not that the mere words are of any avail: too 
many people use such words profanely, when they say, on 
a surprise, God bless us ! or Lord have mercy on us ! but 
such praying as this is the way to get a curse, not a 
blessing. When the Publican said, God be merciful to 
me, a sinner, he felt what he said : he felt he was a per¬ 
ishing sinner, and he felt an earnest desire for mercy. 

He calls himself, a sinner , or the sinner , as some would 
render it; or the chief of sinner s, as Paul called himself. 
The word sinner was a term of reproach among the Jews, 
and seemed to be applied chiefly to a harlot, or some no¬ 
torious offender; but the Publican takes it to himself. 
It is very likely he spake this aloud in the hearing of the 


84 THE-PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN, 


Pharisee, and others who did not think themselves sin¬ 
ners; for he was not unwilling to appear before men 
what he well knew he was before God. He would not 
have been angry with that sort of preaching which lays 
men low; nor would he have been displeased with a 
friend who should have said, You are a very great sin¬ 
ner. But say, my friends, what would you think of a 
person who should charge you in that manner? Would 
you not be very angry, and say, I am no worse than 
others ? But a true penitent can never find words suffi¬ 
cient to express the sense he has of his vileness. 

If we know the meaning and extent of the Ten Com¬ 
mandments, we shall say after each of them, u Lord have 
mercy upon us !” And if we see anything of the holiness, 
majesty, and glory of the great God, we shall cry, with 
Isaiah, “ Woe is me, for I am undone;” or with Job, “I 
have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now 
mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and re¬ 
pent in dust and ashes.” No person truly enlightened 
will say, as many have done, I am not a great sinner; 
for, in fact, there cannot be a little sinner, unless ther.e 
were a little law to break, a little God to offend, and a lit¬ 
tle wrath to incur. It is too common for persons to com¬ 
fort themselves with the idea that they are not such great 
sinners as some others; many dying people do this, and 
even wretches at the gallows have done so. But this is 
Very absurd; for the question is, not whether we have 
sinned as much as others, but whether we have sinned at 
all; that is, whether we have broken the holy law of 
God ! If so, we are sinners, and stand exposed to the 
just wrath of the Most High; nor can we escape it but 
by partaking of that great mercy for which the Publican 
prayed. 

You will next observe, that his sense of sin and danger 
put him upon prayer. Many people live without prayer; 
and what is the reason ? They do not feel the need of 
mercy; for this is the first thing a convinced sinner prays 


THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN. 85 


for; and it is a good sign of grace, when a desire for 
mercy sends a man to his knees. Angels rejoice on such 
an occasion, and point to the new-born soul, saying, “ Be¬ 
hold, he prayeth !” My friends, do you pray for mercy ? 
If not, how can you expect it; and what must become 
of you without it ? Oh that you may begin to pray! 

This poor man cried to the Lord; and whither can a 
creature fly for help but to God ? He is our maker ; he 
is our governor; he is our just Judge ; he is able to save 
or destroy: he is offended with our sins, yet is he most 
gracious, and ready to forgive. How reasonable, then, that 
a guilty, helpless sinner, ready to perish, should apply “to 
him that is able to save to the uttermost all who come to 
him by Jesus Christ !” 

He begs for mercy. What is mercy? We know what 
it is by our own feelings. It is compassion to the miser¬ 
able ; it is a disposition to pity and relieve the distressed; 
and we never speak of mercy but with reference to 
misery. It is not, then, a light, unfeeling use of solemn 
words, that can encourage us to hope for mercy: it is 
pot saying, without feeling, Lord have mercy upon us ! 
Christ have mercy upon us ! but it is coming with the 
Publican’s spirit, with his broken heart, with his remorse, 
with his desires, and in earnest prayer claiming this pre¬ 
cious blessing. 

Observe it is mercy he asks. Here is not a word of 
merit. Mercy and merit are opposite things. The 
Pharisee’s prayer was a mere boast of meritorious deeds; 
the Publican has nothing to plead; nor does he ask for 
wealth, or honour, or pleasure; his heart is dead to these : 
all his desires centre in one, and that one is mercy. 

“ Mercy, good Lord, mercy I ask, 

This is the total sum ; 

For mercy, Lord, is all my suit 
Oh let thy mercy come!” 

But the petition, be merciful , includes something more 
8 


86 THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN. 

than is commonly understood by it; the word translated 
merciful has respect to the atonement made by blood; to 
the sacrifice offered up at the temple; which were types 
of Christ, “ whom God hath set forth to be a propitia¬ 
tion, through faith in his blood.” Rom. iii. 25. At the 
temple, in the court of which the Publican stood, there 
was a lamb offered every morning at nine o’clock, and 
every evening at three; and these were the hours of 
prayer; so that the pious Jews came then to pray, that 
by virtue of the atonement of Christ represented by blood, 
and of his intercession represented by the incense, their 
prayers might find acceptance. His prayer then was— 
God be propitious to me a sinner—accept the atonement 
in my behalf—let my soul be cleansed in the blood of 
Christ. In this manner, by faith in Jesus, let us seek 
the mercy of God. Let us not dream of mere absolute 
mercy. “ A God all mercy is a God unjust.” The 
mercy of God cannot be bestowed without regard to his 
justice. Now God has glorified his justice by punishing 
sin in the person of our glorious Redeemer, upon whom 
“ he laid the iniquities of us all,” and through whom he is,, 
at once, “ a just God and a Saviour.” In this way, and 
in no other, can a sinner obtain mercy; for our Lord de¬ 
clares, that no man cometh to the Father but by him; 
and no mercy cometh to the sinner but through him; 
but in his dear name we may “ come boldly to the throne 
of grace, and so obtain mercy, and find grace to help in 
every time of need.” 

Thus came the Publican, and in this way he succeeded. 
It was not the depth of his humility, the sincerity of his 
repentance, nor the fervency of his devotion, that merited 
acceptance; these dispositions were the gifts of God, and 
could merit nothing; but it was the merit of the Re¬ 
deemer’s precious blood, typified by the blood of lambs, 
which he pleaded, and which shall never be pleaded in 
vain. Our Lord tells us, ver. 14, “ This man went down 
to his house justified rather than the other,” or not the 


THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN. 87 


other ; the reason of which he adds, “ For every one that 
exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth 
himself shall be exalted.” Oh, what a blessing ! “ He 

went down to his house justified;” there was no condem¬ 
nation to him; he was accepted in the Beloved; he had 
passed from death to life ! Happy man ! he might “ eat 
liis bread with gladness, and drink his wine,” or water 
either, “ with a merry heart, for God accepted his works.” 

Application. —Shall we not then “ go and do like¬ 
wise ?” Are we not sinners ? Fly instantly to the 
throne of grace. The Lord waits to be gracious. This 
is the accepted time; lose it not by delay. To-morrow 
may be too late. Now, then, with the Publican’s spirit, 
let each of us cry, God be merciful to me a sinner! 

But Oh ! beware of the Pharisee’s spirit. Every man 
is born a Pharisee. Ask your little children why they 
hope to go to heaven; and if they have not been better 
taught, you will find their hope is, because they are not 
so bad as others. Would to God it were not so with 
grown up persons too ! But let no one dare to persist in 
a self-righteous course; “ for he that exalteth himself 
shall be abased”—abased even to hell. Benounce, then, 
your own righteousness, as Paul, the converted Pharisee, 
did, who says, Phil. iii. 7, “ What things were gain to 
me, those I counted loss for Christ; yea, doubtless, and 
I count all things but loss for the excellency of the 
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have 
suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but 
dung , that I may win Christ, and be found in him.” 

The Publican’s success is a great encouragement to 
every sensible sinner seeking for mercy. Seek like him, 
and like him you shall obtain it. And Oh ! let those who 
have obtained it be full of joy. “ Praise the Lord, for 
he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever;” and as an 
evidence of having obtained mercy from God, show mercy 
to men. “ Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also 
is merciful.” 


88 THE PRODIGAL SON, OR THE 


SERMON V. 

THE PRODIGAL SON, OR THE PENITENT JOYFULLY 
RECEIVED. 

Luke xv. 24. For this my son was dead, and is alive again ; 
he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 

J ESUS CHRIST came into the world to save sinners ; 

he therefore behaved in a kind and affable manner 
to all, even to some who had been very great sinners. 
This offended the Jews, and especially the self-righteous 
Pharisees. They thought that a holy prophet should 
have nothing to do with such bad people; not considering 
that he went among them on purpose to save them from 
their sins. But Jesus Christ vindicates his conduct, by 
appealing to the custom of men in general, who always 
rejoice when they recover any valuable thing that was 
lost. In this beautiful and affecting parable, we have, 

I. The Prodigal’s sin and folly, in departing from his 
father, and living in a riotous manner 

II. His repentance and return. 

III. His kind reception. 

I. We have the prodigal’s sin and folly, v. 11—13. 
u A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them 
said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods 
that falleth to me : and he divided unto them his living. 
And not many days after, the younger son gathered all 
together, and took his journey into a far country, and 
there wasted his substance with riotous living.” 

The prodigal son is an emblem of a sinner. He dis¬ 
liked the restraint of his pious father. He wanted to be 
his own master, to live in a state of independence, and 
to be governed by his own corrupt judgment. The 
language of sinners is, “ Let us break his bands asunder, 
and cast away his cords from us they say unto God, 
“ Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy 


PENITENT JOYFULLY RECEIVED. 89 


ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him ? 
and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him ?” 
Job xxi. 15. All natural men are, like the prodigal, 
men of the world, and want their portion in this life, re¬ 
gardless of a portion in heaven : and, like him, they wish 
to live at a distance from God, and, as much as possible, 
“ without God in the world.” 

But let us stop a moment, and ask whether this is not 
a picture of ourselves. Has not each of us, more or less, 
acted the same part ? Is there not in us, even in us, an 
evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God ? 
Is not this the reason that so many forsake the house of 
God, even on the Lord’s day—that they dislike to hear 
God speak to them in his preached word—that they re¬ 
fuse to speak to God in their prayers—and that they 
despise truly religious persons, who are of the family of 
God ? Surely all this arises from hearts “ alienated from 
this life of God;” this is u the carnal mind,” which is 
enmity against him. 

Observe, now, how he behaves in the distant country 
to which he went. Probably he told his father that he 
would traffic with his money, and so mend his fortune; 
or at least, that he would travel for the improvement of 
his mind; but he no sooner gets his portion into his 
hands, and becomes his own master, than he enters upon 
a loose, lewd, riotous way of life, in the company of bad 
women and other wicked companions. Thus he ivasted 
his substance, and abused the gifts of God; gave himself 
up to luxury and lasciviousness, “ to work all uncleanness 
with greediness.” 

See the consequence of being left to ourselves; the misery 
of departing from God! and Oh, beware of wasting his 
gifts ! Our reason, our health, our strength, our time, 
our money, our influence, are all talents committed to our 
trust ) let them be used to promote the glory of God, and 
the salvation of our souls, and not abused to the purpose 
of sin and destruction. 

8 * 


M 


90 THE PRODIGAL SON, OR THE 

Mark now, my friends, how certainly misery follows 
sin. Ver. 14. When he had spent all, there arose a 
mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 
Here is a proof of the truth of that old proverb—“ Wilful 
waste makes woful want.” See how the pleasures of 
sense perish in the using: for “as the crackling of thorns 
under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool •” a noisy blaze, 
succeeded by a dismal darkness. Let this, as Solomon 
advises, “ keep thee from the evil woman ; from the 
flattery of the tongue of a strange woman ; for by means 
of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread. 
She hath cast down many wounded. Her house is the 
way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.” 
Prov. vi. 24. and vii. 26. 

What was become of the prodigal’s gay friends? 
Would none who had feasted at his table come forward 
to supply his wants ? No: they all deserted him. Place 
no dependence on sinful companions. Many adore the 
rising sun, who turn their backs upon it when it sets. 
And how just it is, that he, who acts as an enemy to God, 
should not be able to find a friend among men ! 

One should have thought that now, in his adversity, 
he would have turned his thoughts homeward. Surely 
this was a proper time for serious reflection. But he was 
not sufficiently humbled ) rather than to go back to his 
father, he will submit to the most servile state. Ver. 15. 
“ He went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, 
and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.” It is no 
disgrace in this country to be a servant, or to feed any 
sort of cattle : but you are to observe that he was a Jew, 
and as swine’s flesh was forbidden to the Jews, there 
could be nothing more odious and abominable to him 
than the care of swine. It seems, too, that this gay 
youth was a poor, worthless creature, and notwithstanding 
his education, fit for no better employment. Oh, how are 
thp mighty fallen, and how is the fine gentleman 
degraded! 


PENITENT JOYFULLY RECEIVED. 91 


But far greater is the disgrace of sinful men. Created 
at first in the image of God ; honourable and happy in 
communion with him ; see him now fallen from his high 
estate, become a servant of sin, yea, a slave of the devil; 
a companion of beasts; yea, himself, as Bishop Hall 
speaks, “ Half a beast and half a devil !” Whatever sin¬ 
ners may think of themselves, their wretched business is 
no other than the prodigal’s; they are “ making provision 
for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof,” and that is no 
better than feeding, greedy, dirty, noisy, swine. 

Disgraceful as his employment was, could he have got 
wholesome, though plain food, he might have made him¬ 
self content. But, to fill up the measure of his misery, 
we find he was almost starved to death. Having, per¬ 
haps, a bad-hearted master, and that in time of famine, 
he had not a morsel of bread : he must not only feed the 
swine, but feed with them, and eat the same food. Ver. 
16. “ He would fain have filled his belly with the husks 

which the swine did eat”—wild chestnuts, probably, or 
some such trash, not fit for a man to eat; but though he 
would have been glad of them, he could not get them, or 
not enough of them, to satisfy his hunger. 

Here also is a picture for the sinner. Husks are food 
for swine, not for men; so the things of this world are 
not more fit to satisfy the immortal soul, than husks to 
feed the body. They suit not our nature, nor satisfy our 
desires. 

“ Why seek ye that which is not bread, 

Nor can your hungry souls sustain? 

On ashes, husks, and air, you feed ; 

Ye spend your little all in vain.” 

II. Let us now proceed to a more pleasing part of the 
subject. “ It is a long lane, they say, which has no turn¬ 
ing,” and yet, alas! thousands go on all their days in the 
way to eternal ruin ! But here we have an instance of a 
sinner, reduced to the last extremity, to whom his afflic¬ 
tions were sanctified, beginning to repent, and return to 


92 THE PRODIGAL SON, OR THE 


God. Yer. 17. “ And when he came to himself, he 

said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread 
enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger !” 

“ He came to himself”—remarkable expression ! He 
had been beside himself; he had acted the part of a mad¬ 
man ; and indeed “ the hearts of the sons of men are full 
of evil, and madness is in their heart.” Eccles. ix. 3. 
I)o madmen mistake their own condition, and fancy them¬ 
selves kings and emperors ? so do poor sinners; they 
think themselves spiritually “ rich and increased with 
goods, &c., and know not that they are wretched, and 
miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Madmen 
are often desperately mischievous, and even self-murder¬ 
ers. So are all sinners. What madness can be equal to 
the eternal destruction of the soul for the sake of a few 
momentary pleasures? Yes, we are all far from ourselves, 
when we are far from God ) and we never return to our¬ 
selves, till God, in mercy, return to us. Regard not then 
the foolish reproach of the world, who will say, when you 
are truly concerned for your souls, that you are mad. 
No; they are the madmen who live in sin; you , who are 
coming to God, have come to yourselves. 

The Prodigal compares his own wretched state with 
the condition of his father’s meanest servants. “I am 
starving; they are feasting. I am miserable; they are 
happy.” Just so, a repenting sinner plainly perceives 
his own miserable case, and longs to partake of their hap¬ 
piness, who live in the house of God, and are his devoted 
servants. u I perish,” said he ; so may every man say 
who lives in sin, “ I perish; but there are others (Oh 
that I were one of them !) who dwell in the house of the 
Lord, feast upon his rich grace, know that their sins 
are pardoned, and are full of peace and joy in believing.” 

What is the natural consequence of such a comparison ? 
Why an effort, an immediate effort, to mend his condition. 
Hope springs up in his heart; and though there was. but 
a may-be, a mere peradventure of success, he makes the 


PENITENT JOYFULLY RECEIVED. 93 


following wise resolution; ver. 18, 19. “ I will arise, 

and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I 
have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no 
more worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy 
hired servants.” 

He resolves to return to his father. Now, what is 
conversion, but the sinner’s return to God ? This is 
what God calls us to in his word —“ Let the wicked for¬ 
sake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and 
let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy 
upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly par¬ 
don.” Isa. lv. 7. But with what spirit will he return ? 
Will he feign an excuse, and go with a lie iu his mouth ? 
Will he say, u I have been very unfortunate ; I have been 
robbed of my property; been deceived by swindlers; or 
had a shipwreck at sea ?” Or, will he plead his youth 
and indiscretion, and say, “ Though I have done wrong, 
I had a good heart ?” Such, my friends, are the wretch¬ 
ed excuses of unhumbled sinners. But the Prodigal 
now perceived the plague of his own heart; he was 
“ poor in spirit;” he would make no excuses ; but own 
his guilt, and confess he was unworthy to be treated as a 
son ; he would be contented and thankful to be admitted 
into the kitchen or the scullery. u Make me as one of 
thy hired servants.” Thus it will be with every true 
penitent; he will give glory to God, by making full con¬ 
fession of his sin, and will sincerely admit that he is to¬ 
tally unworthy of the mercy and grace of God.” 

Observe; he says, “ I have sinned against heaven” — 
against the God of heaven : against the high authority 
of God, and against the wonderful goodness of God. It 
is a foolish and hurtful mistake of some people, when 
they speak of a drunkard, or some other wicked man, to 
say—“ He hurts none but himself.” It is true, sinners 
hurt themselves; but they also offend and provoke the 
God of heaven; and in true repentance, the sinner, like 
the Prodigal, and like the psalmist, will say, “ Against 


94 THE PEODIGAL SON, OE THE 

thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy 
sight.” Before thee , said he; the Prodigal had sinned 
against his father, by throwing off his easy yoke : and let 
young people remember, that disobedient and undutiful 
behaviour to their parents is a sin against God, that needs 
his pardoning mercy, and must be repented of. 

Shall we pause a moment—and ask ourselves, whether 
we find in our hearts a disposition like that of the Prodi¬ 
gal ? We have all sinned with him, but which of us re¬ 
pents with him ? Depend upon it, we shall not think of 
returning to God, till we feel the misery of departing 
from him. We have forsaken God, we have set up for 
our own guides, we have abused the gift of God, we have 
been the slaves of sin; and have we not found emptiness, 
insufficiency, dissatisfaction, misery, and danger in this 
condition ? If not, may God open our eyes, and help us 
to discover it. If we are convinced of these things, let 
us make the Prodigal’s resolution, “I will arise;” and 
not only make it, but execute it; for we read, ver. 19, 
He arose and came to his father. There are many good 
resolutions formed, which come to nothing. It has been 
said, that “ the way to hell is paved with good resolutions:” 
perhaps there is not one unhappy creature there, who did 
not at one time or other say, “ I will arise and go to my 
father;” but their resolutions died away. The Prodigal, 
however, arose, and began his journey—a long journey— 
for you will remember that he went into 11 a far country.” 
Ah ! who can tell what painful fears and doubts assaulted 
his mind in the way ? Hunger had brought him very low; 
and he might have said, “ How can these trembling limbs 
carry me so many miles ? I must beg my way ; perhaps 
I may die on the road : and, oh ! if I live to reach the 
place, how can I bear the sight of the house? My 
father, my offended father, will refuse to see me, forbid 
me the house, and after all my labour, I may be rejected, 
and justly too. But, however, though I may perish if I 
go, I must perish if I stay. ‘ I will arise and go to my 


PENITENT JOYFULLY RECEIVED. 95 


father/”—He goes. He continues his journey; and, at 
length, after many a weary step, and many a toilsome 
day, he catches a glimpse of the mansion ; he halts; his 
heart beats: a thousand fears rush into his mind. Ah ! 
what shall I do ? What shall I say ? 

Just then, for so Providence ordered it, “when he 
was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had com¬ 
passion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.” 
This is the 

IHd. thing we are to consider; his kind reception. 
God’s eyes are upon all his creatures. “ He looketh upon 
men,” to see if there be any that regard, any that return; 
and the very first motions of the heart toward him are 
noticed. “ He looketh upon men; and if any say, I 
have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it 
profited me not; he will deliver his soul from going down 
into the pit, and his life shall see the light.” Job 
xxxiii. 28. 

He had compassion . A parent can readily conceive 
what tender feelings would be excited by the sight of a 
long-lost child returning in this miserable plight; and by 
these feelings the God of mercy is pleased to express his 
perfect readiness to receive and forgive a repenting sin¬ 
ner. 

He ran. The Prodigal, perhaps, stopped short, afraid 
to venture on ; but the father runs; forgetting his age, 
and the gravity of his character, he runs to meet him, 
impatient to embrace him. 

He fell on his neck and kissed him; though ragged, 
though filthy, though lately come from feeding swine. 
Any other than a father would have loathed; but the 
parent loves, and manifests his love by his affectionate 
embraces. 

What a wonderful display is this of the love of God ! 
It is thus that God presents us with the blessings of his 
goodness. It is thus that repenting sinners are welcomed 
by the God of mercy. Hear it, 0 my friends, hear it 


96 


THE PRODIGAL SON. 


for your encouragement, that our God is a ready to par¬ 
don, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great 
kindness.” 

Conclusion. —Men and brethren : There are two 
things in this parable which I trust you will not forget— 
the folly of sinners , and the compassion of God. Let 
each one of us consider, whether he has not ungratefully 
run away from God—disliked his restraints—been wise 
in his own conceit—indulged forbidden lusts—and abused 
the bounties of heaven. And yet perhaps totally insen¬ 
sible of the evil of so base conduct. In the midst of 
prosperity there was not a thought of returning to God; 
and even in affliction trying any other method rather 
than that. But surely it is high time to bethink our¬ 
selves. May divine grace bring us all to ourselves, as 
the necessary means of bringing us to God. Let us re¬ 
solve, without a moment’s delay, to humble ourselves at 
his feet; and let us be encouraged to do so, by the affect¬ 
ing account we have heard of God’s kindness. “ He 
sees afar off the returning sinners; he pities, he meets, 
he pardons, he embraces them. He arrays them with 
the robe of the Redeemer’s righteousness; adorns them 
with the ornaments of sanctifying grace; honours them 
with the tokens of adopting love ; and invests them with 
all the privileges of his dear children.” Oh that we may 
feel the charming force of these heavenly attractions! 
May there be joy in heaven and earth this day on our ac¬ 
count ! and may we, thus received into the house of God, 
abide there all the days of our life, admiring and adoring 
the sovereign, free, and everlasting grace of God: and 
saying, “ Behold ! what manner of love the Father hath 
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of 
God.” 


CHRIST THE WAY TO GOD. 97 


SERMON VI. 

CHRIST THE WAY TO GOD AND HEAVEN. 

Jolm xiv. 6.—I am the way. 

I F we believe there is a future state of happiness, called 
heaven, and a future state of misery, called hell, there 
can be nothing of greater consequence to us, than that we 
may obtain the one, and escape the other. If we have 
any serious thoughts of these things, we cannot but in¬ 
quire, Which is the true way to heaven ? Everything 
that calls itself Religion, pretends to be the way; but, as 
there are so many different ways, they cannot all be right: 
yea, we are bold to say they are all wrong, except one, 
and that one is declared in the text; “I am the way, 
said Jesus; no man cometh to the Father, but by me." 
Our Lord spake these words to his disciples when they 
were full of trouble, because he was about to leave them. 
He comforts them by saying he was going to heaven, his 
Father’s house, to prepare a place for them, and that he 
would come again, and receive them to himself, that 
where he was they also might be; and then he adds, 
“ Whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.” But 
Thomas, who was rather of a doubting turn of mind, re¬ 
plied—Lord, after all thou hast said, we are still at a loss 
about the place where thou art going, and how then can 
we know the way to follow thee ? Jesus answered, I am 
the way; which is as if he had said, I am the Mediator 
between God and man; I am the means of intercourse 
between heaven and earth; whatever comes from God to 
a sinner, comes through me; and whatever, of an accep¬ 
table kind, goes from a sinful man to God, must pass 
through my hands. In treating upon these very impor¬ 
tant and useful words, we shall show— 

I. To what Christ is a way; and 
II. What sort of a way he is. 

9 


98 


CHRIST THE WAY 


I. We are to consider, What Christ is a way to. 
Every way or road leads from some place to another; 
now, as he is pleased to call himself a way , in condescen¬ 
sion to our mean capacities, we are to consider what he 
is the way from , and what he is the way to. We are to 
remember that we are fallen, guilty creatures, in a state 
of sin, and liable to all miseries here and hereafter; and 
that we are far from God, from righteousness, and from 
heaven; now, if ever we are brought back to God and a 
state of grace here, and to a state of glory hereafter, it 
must be in and through Jesus Christ alone. We say, 
then, that Christ is the way to God, and the way to hea¬ 
ven. 

The first of these is directly expressed by our blessed 
Lord in the text: “ I am the way, no man cometh to the 
Father but by me.” When man was first created, he 
lived in a happy state of nearness to God; he knew God, 
and delighted in him as his chief good; but sin, cursed 
sin, soon made a dreadful separation; and now we come 
into the world “ estranged from God, and go astray from 
the womb;” we desire absence from God; “ he is not in 
all our thoughts;” but we seek happiness in sin and folly. 
Yet is the Lord our God pleased to invite us back to 
him, by the promises and blessings of his gospel, and 
by the ordinances of his house. And although multi¬ 
tudes despise these, and madly resolve to pursue the way 
of destruction, yet a happy few there are, who hear the 
voice of the Son of God in his word, are made sensible, 
that, being far from him, they must perish, and that it is 
good for them to draw nigh to him. But these persons 
have oftentimes such an awful view of the glorious and 
dreadful majesty of God, as an infinitely holy and just 
being, and of the distance that sin has occasioned, that 
they know not how to approach him. The prophet Mi- 
cah thus expresses the anxious desires of such an one, 
chap. vi. 6. “ Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, 

and bow myself before the high God ? Shall I come be- 


TO GOD AND HEAVEN. 


99 


fore him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old ? 
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with 
ten thousands of rivers of oil ? Shall I give my first-born 
for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of 
my soul ?” Blessed be the Lord, “ he hath showed us 
what is good !” He hath given us a full answer to these 
inquiries in our text. Jesus is the way. It is not by 
costly offerings of blood or oil, nor at the dreadful ex¬ 
pense of sacrificing a darling child; but Jesus is the way. 
He not only came to show us the way, but to he the way. 
He did not come to tell us how we may “make our peace 
with God,” as some express themselves, but to be our 
peace; for “ he made peace through the blood of his 
cross.” It is by the death of Jesus that we draw near to 
God; so Peter tells us, “ He suffered for our sins, the 
just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.” 
We are far from him; we had neither the will nor the 
power to return; and sin, if not atoned for, must have 
made an everlasting separation between a holy God and 
vile sinners; but Jesus, who was perfectly just and right¬ 
eous, endured the most shameful and painful sufferings 
upon the cross for us, that is, in our room and stead, that 
he might reconcile us to God, and bring us to a holy con¬ 
formity to him, and happy communion with him here, 
and to the eternal enjoyment of him hereafter. 

In this way, that is, in Jesus, we have free access to 
the glorious Majesty of heaven; we may, by prayer in 
his name, “ come with boldness to the throne of grace,” 
there to “obtain mercy, and find grace to help us.” 
Hear what Paul says of this matter, Heb. x. 19, &c. 
“ Having, therefore, boldness to enter into the holiest by 
the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he 
hath consecrated for us, through the vail, that is to say, 
his flesh, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assu¬ 
rance of faith.” What a glorious privilege is this ! We 
may approach the great God, as our reconciled God and 
Father; we may use holy freedom with him in our 



100 


CHRIST THE WAY 


prayers ; we have this liberty of access by the merit of 
Christ’s blood, and by the application of it to our con¬ 
sciences through faith therein. This is the way prepared 
for our use, even Jesus, who is “ the way, the truth, and 
the life;” he is the truth and substance of all the ordi¬ 
nances of the Old Testament; with particular reference 
to the rending of that vail which separated the holy of 
holies in the temple from the holy place; and which 
rending took place at the moment of our Saviour’s death ; 
which signified that now the way to God and heaven is 
laid open for all believers; and that is the second thing 
proposed. 

2. Jesus Christ is the way to heaven. This indeed 
follows the other; for if we come to God by Jesus as 
our reconciled Father, if sin be pardoned, and we are ad¬ 
mitted to a life of holy communion with him here, it is 
certain that we shall also have “ an abundant entrance 
into his heavenly kingdom and glory.” Jesus died, to 
“ redeem us to God,” to his favour and image here, and 
to his glory hereafter. He died, to “ bring many sons to 
glory;” that they may be satisfied with the goodness of 
his house; even to his holy temple, that they may be 
pillars in that temple, never more to go out; that they 
may approach him in a more sublime way of worship than 
at present, without the help of means and ordinances; 
that they may “ see him face to face,” without a cloud to 
hide his glory from them, and without the clog of sinful 
flesh and blood. Now Jesus is the only way to heaven. 
This is the record of the gospel—“ God has given to us 
eternal life, and this life is in his Son” There it is, and 
nowhere else: and whoever thinks to get to heaven 
another way, misses the true road, and will be eternally 
disappointed. There are many ways to hell, but only 
one to heaven; and if Jesus be not our way, we shall 
never get thither. As sinners, we have forfeited heaven 
and deserved hell; but Jesus Christ has not only re¬ 
deemed his people from the curse, that they may not go 


TO GOD AND HEAVEN. 


101 


to hell, but by his perfect obedience or righteousness he 
has procured for them a title to heaven . The righteous¬ 
ness of Christ is “ to, and upon, all who believe in him;” 
it is imputed to them, or reckoned to their account, 
as if they had themselves performed it; and on this 
ground it is that they are admitted into the realms of 
light and glory; u therefore are they before the throne, 
because they have washed their robes, and made them 
white in the blood of the Lamb;” and not on ac¬ 
count of any goodness, virtue, or good works of their 
own. 

II. Show what sort of a way Christ is. 

1. It is a living way. This way to heaven was by 
Christ’s dying; yet it is called a living way, because all 
our life springs from his death. Christ is the life of all 
who live spiritually or eternally. This way is trodden 
only by such. All who are in this way are alive to God, 
and, what is more, they shall never die. The eternal 
life of all who are in Christ, and walk in him, is secure; 
for because he lives, they shall live also. No man ever 
died upon this road. “ I am,” saith Christ, “ the resur¬ 
rection and the life ; he that believeth in me, though he 
were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and 
believeth in me shall never die.” The body indeed must 
die, because of sin, though that is more properly called 
sleep, in the New Testament, and the body shall be raised 
in glory; “ but the spirit is life, because of righteous¬ 
ness,” and shall never perish, but have everlasting life. 

2. It is a plain way. Some ways are hard to find; 
have many turnings and windings and cross-paths; but 
this way is easy to find, and to keep. The prophet 
Isaiah, speaking of it, says, “ The wayfaring men, though 
fools, shall not err therein.” Isa. xxxv. 8. It is an in¬ 
finite mercy, that the things which belong to our peace 
are not difficult. There are, it is true, deep and difficult 
things in the Bible; but the grand truths which concern 
our salvation are perfectly plain and easy. What can be 

9* 


102 


CHRIST THE WAY 


plainer than what is said about our fallen, sinful, helpless 
state, as sinners? or about Jesus Christ, as the only all- 
sufficient Saviour ? or about our duty, as saved sinners, 
towards God as man ? It is a great blessing to poor 
people, that these things are so plain, and that God by 
his Spirit makes them so, even to u babes and sucklings;” 
for “ the entrance of his words giveth light: it giveth 
understanding to the simple.” 

3. It is a free way. There are private ways that be¬ 
long to great men, and they are open to few; it would be 
a trespass for a stranger to be found in them; but this is 
a public way, the king’s high-way. Paul says, it is con¬ 
secrated, that is, appointed, dedicated, devoted to this 
purpose, and free for the use of all who desire to travel 
in it. There are no bars or toll-gates, where travellers 
must pay for permission to enter or proceed ; for salvation 
is “ without money and without price.” Isa. lv. 1. It 
is a way prepared on purpose for the use of sinners, who 
are returning to God; and no objections are made to 
such persons. No worthiness, nor qualifications, nor con¬ 
ditions, are required of the traveller; whosoever will, 
may come and welcome. It is a free way. 

4. It is a safe and sure way. It is a firm solid road, 
there is no danger of sinking in it, for Christ is the rock 
of ages. It suffers no alterations by rains and floods, as 
other ways do; it is passable at all times; there is 
nothing at any time to hinder our access to God, and pro¬ 
gress to heaven. Nor is there any occasion to fear ene¬ 
mies upon it. There are such ; but they cannot prevail. 
“ The devil (says one) has been busy upon this road for 
about five thousand years, but never yet slew one believer; 
for every traveller is ‘ kept by the power of God, through 
faith, to salvation/” So that he may walk on with bold¬ 
ness, and fear no evil; rejoicing to think that every be¬ 
liever, that once set his foot in this way, has been enabled 
to proceed, and not one of them failed of “ receiving the 
end of his faith, even the salvation of his soul.” 


TO GOD AND HEAVEN. 


103 


5. It is a pleasant way. The scripture says, 11 The 
ways of wisdom are pleasantness, and all her paths are 
peace.” Satan invites men to travel in the ways of sin, 
under the notion of their being pleasant ; and there cer¬ 
tainly are pleasures in sin; but they are for a short sea¬ 
son ; they are now mingled with bitter pains and pangs 
of conscience, and they will issue in misery everlasting. 
But “ the ransomed of the Lord,” who return to the hea¬ 
venly Zion, “ shall come with songs and everlasting joy 
upon their heads.” Believers are called upon to “ rejoice 
always in the Lord.” Those who travel in this way are 
not only secure from harm, as you have heard, but the 
Lord has engaged for their supply on the road; he has 
promised that “ they shall be abundantly satisfied with 
the fatness of his house, and drink of the rivers of his 
pleasure.” They shall “ sit under his shadow with great 
delight, and his fruit be sweet to their taste.” They 
shall enjoy the company of the saints as their fellow- 
travellers, with whom their communion shall be sweet. 
Yea, the Lord of the way himself has promised to bear 
them company, and has said, “ Fear not, for I am with 
thee;” and “ I will never leave nor forsake thee.” 

Lastly, it is the only way. Many ways to God and 
heaven have been proposed by mistaken men, under the 
influence of the great deceiver, the devil: and it is too 
commonly supposed that any way will do, if a man is but 
sincere in it. But this cannot be true; for if any way 
of man’s invention might suffice, what occasion was there 
for Christ to come from heaven, obey the law, and endure 
the curse, that he might become our way ? For, “ if 
righteousness come by the law,” or men can be their own 
Saviours, or partake of the mercy of God without an 
atonement, all the vast expense of Christ’s sufferings and 
death might have been spared; yea, in that case “ the 
grace of God is set aside, and Christ is dead in vain.” 
Gal. ii. 21. But Christ crucified is the only way; so 
Peter solemnly declares, Acts iv. 12. “ Neither is there 


104 : 


THE VAIN EXCUSES 


salvation in any other, for there is no other name under 
heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.” 
There is salvatiou in his name ; it was procured by him, 
and he ever lives to bestow it; it is also published by divine 
authority; it is given forth in the preached gospel; but 
there is no other, under heaven , given for that purpose; 
none given by God’s orders; if any others are given, it 
is by impostors and deceivers. Jesus only is the way to 
God and heaven. Thus you see that Christ is a new 
way—a living way—a free way—a safe way—a pleasant 
way, aud the only way. 


SERMON VII. 

THE YAIN EXCUSES OE SINNERS EXPOSED. 

Luke xiv. 18.—And they all, with one consent, began to make 
excuse. 

npiIE blessings of the gospel in Christ are, in the para- 
JL ble of which the text is a part, fitly compared to 
the dainties of a noble and costly feast. “ A certain 
man made a great supper, and bade many,” ver. 16. So 
Christ has made plentiful provisions in his gospel for the 
souls of men, and freely invites all who hear it to be 
partakers. “ And he sent his servants at supper-time, 
to say to them that were bidden, Come, for all things are 
now ready,” ver. 17. So Christ having called the Jews 
by his own ministry, sent the apostles after his resurrec¬ 
tion to renew the invitation, and to say that the work of 
redemption was finished, and that he was willing to re¬ 
ceive all who should come by faith to him; and this is 
the language of the gospel wherever it is preached. 

If we consider the nature of a feast, we shall see how 
properly our Saviour compares the blessings of our sal¬ 
vation to it. In a feast we expect wholesome provisions 



OF SI N'N E R S EXPOSED. 


105 


— -plenty — variety — elegance — company, and the whole 
gratis. All these, and mare, Jesus gives us in his gospel. 
Here is “ the bread of life which came down from 
heaven,” without which we must for ever perish; but 
eating which secures our eternal life. Here is plenty, 
for in our Father’s house there is bread enough and to 
spare; and however many the guests who come, still 
“ there is room.” Here is variety ; pardon, peace, holi¬ 
ness, adoption, joy in the Holy Ghost, communion with 
God, perseverance to the end, and glory, to crown the 
whole. Here is elegance; dainties worthy God to be¬ 
stow ; dainties fetched from heaven ; dainties purchased 
at a cost beyond the value of a thousand worlds—for 
“ Christ’s flesh is meat indeed, and his blood is drink in¬ 
deed !” Here is good company ; for, sitting down at the 
gospel feast, “ we come to an innumerable company of 
angels; to the general assembly and church of the first¬ 
born ; and to God, the Judge of all; and to the spirits of 
just men made perfect; and to Jesus.” And, what is 
best of all, it is gratis —“ without money, and without 
price”—“ the poorer the wretch, the welcomer here.” 

We shall first notice the three excuses which follow 
our text; and then proceed to mention other excuses and 
objections which are often made. 

1. “ The first said—I have bought a piece of ground, 
and I must needs go and see it; I pray thee have me ex¬ 
cused.” 

This is the plea of a rich man, who had been adding 
field to field. He was under no kind of necessity to view 
the land he had bought: probably he had seen it before 
he had bought it; if not, he might have stayed till another 
day, and have found the field in the same condition; but 
he wanted to feast his eyes upon his new purchase. See 
here an instance of the inordinate love of the world, the 
pride of possession, the deceitfulness of riches. This was 
“ a man of the world, whose portion was in this life,” for 
the sake of which he was deaf to the call of Christ. Oh, 


106 


THE VAIN EXCUSES 




how hardly shall they who are rich enter into the kingdom 
of heaven! so great is the danger of loving the world too 
much. 

2. “And another said—I have bought five yoke of 

oxen, and I go to prove them : I pray thee have me ex¬ 
cused. ” Here is the man of business: the former was 
taken up with pleasure; this with care. “ Too much 
leisure, or too much business, are equally dangerous to 
the soul.” This was a frivolous excuse like the former; 
another day would have done as well for proving oxen in 
the plow, for the purchase was already made ; but anxiety 
for the world prevailed over his spiritual interest. And 
what is this but the common excuse of tradesmen, 
labourers, aud women who have families ? 1 have no 

time to spare for religion. Let me ask you, What is 
your time for ? Is not the care of the soul the one thing 
needful? Should you not seek first the kingdom of God 
and his righteousness ? Besides, “ what will it profit, if 
you gain the whole world, and lose your own soul ?” And 
let me tell you, there is time enough to mind the affairs 
of both worlds, and both are best minded together: the 
one need not shut out the other. Religion will not make 
men idle; it will make an idle man industrious; it tends 
even to worldly prosperity. “ Godliness is profitable for 
all things, having the promise of this life, and of that 
which is to come.” 

3. The excuse of a third person was, “ I have married 
a wife, and therefore cannot come.” Here is an excuse 
of another kind, which takes in too great a regard to 
creatures, and too much fondness for domestic enjoy¬ 
ments, and the pleasures of this life. It was a very 
weak excuse; for though he had married a wife, he 
might surely have left her for a few hours, without a 
breach of proper affection ; or he might have taken her 
with him to such a great feast as this, where so many 
were bidden, and none forbidden ; or he might have gone 
alone, if he could not persuade her to go with him. How 


OF SINNERS EXPOSED. 107 

many perish by the unlawful use of lawful things, and 
undue regard to carnal relations ! 

All these excuses were, as you see, frivolous and fool¬ 
ish ; they were all of a worldly kind; and indeed it is the 
world, in some form or other, that proves the great 
hindrance of men’s salvation. But there are many other 
excuses, which people are apt to make, equally absurd. I 
shall proceed to notice some of them. 

4. Some object, and say, Your religious people are 
hypocrites; after all their pretences , they are like other 
folks. I answer by a question—Are they all hypocrites? 
If so, there is no such thing as religion in the world; if 
so, the Bible is all a lie, and Christ must have shed his 
blood in vain; for he died to redeem us from the world, 
and our vain conversation in it, and to make us a holy 
people zealous of good works. It is admitted there are 
some hypocrites; and woe be to them! There was a 
hypocrite, a Judas, even among the apostles ; but religion 
did not cease because of him. If there was not a reality 
and an excellency in religion, there would be no hypo¬ 
crites ; if guineas and bank-notes were not valuable, there 
would be no counterfeits; and, I presume, you do not re¬ 
fuse to take any money, because there is base coin; nor 
would you excuse yourself from paying your rent to your 
landlord, because you are afraid of taking bad money. 
If there are hypocrites, as you say, and we allow, then 
there is the greater need to look to yourself, that you 
are sincere; but I greatly doubt the sincerity of those 
who make this excuse; and their hearts tell them it will 
not be admitted at the bar of God. Besides, it is censori¬ 
ous and wicked to judge another man, and to call him a 
hypocrite, unless his life is bad; but, because you can 
find no blemish in the life of a truly religious person, you 
presume to search his heart, and call him a hypocrite. 
The truth is, you would be glad to prove him such, as an 
excuse for your own want of religion. x 

5. Methinks I hear another person say— I see no oc - 


108 


THE VAIN EXCUSES 


casion to make so much fuss about religion .—You sl 
truly; you do not see : but your not seeing is a proof ot 
nothing but your own blindness; a blind man sees 
nothing. If you examine the word of God, you will find 
the Christian life compared to a warfare; now a soldier’s 
life, in the time of actual service, is not idle. It is also 
compared to a race, in which great exertion and activity 
are necessary, if a man would so run as to obtain the 
prize. A Christian is represented in scripture as “ cruci¬ 
fying the old man of sin,” and “ mortifying the deeds of 
the flesh ;” and can these things be done by the slothful 
man, who is a stranger to zeal himself, and hates to see it 
in another? Has not God required you to love him 
with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind, 
and all your strength; and do you know anybody that 
does more than this? Let me also ask you, Why is it 
that you commend industry in worldly business, and de¬ 
spise it in religion ? If there be a hell to avoid, and a 
heaven to obtain, and sin to destroy, and a God to serve, 
and a soul to save—why should you not be as earnest in 
religion as you are in the world ? Why should not a 
Christian love God as much as you love money, or sin ? 
I know the answer your heart makes. 

6. Another cries— I shall do as well as my neighbour: 
and if I perish , God help thousands ! I reply, If you 
do not better than the thousands that perish, God help 
you! Jesus Christ has said, “Wide is the gate, and 
broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many 
there be which go in thereat;” while the narrow way to 
life is found and trod by few. Think not well of your 
state, because you are like others : you have greater cause 
to suspect it. Christ’s flock is small; but the devil’s 
herd is large. “The whole world,” says John, “ lieth 
in wickedness.” Follow not, then, the multitude to do 
evil, but consider their end, and be wise. It is a very 
affecting and useful story that Mr. Baxter relates in his 
“ Call to the Unconverted.” “ I remember,” says he, “a 


OF SINNERS EXPOSED. 


109 


circumstance that a gentleman told me he saw upon 
Acham-bridge, over the Severn, near Shrewsbury. A 
man was driving a flock of fat lambs ; and something 
meeting them, and hindering their passage, one of the 
lambs leaped on the walls of the bridge, and his legs 
slipping from under him, he fell into the stream : the 
rest, seeing him, did, one after one, leap over the bridge 
into the stream, and were all, or almost all, drowned. 
Those that were behind did little know what was become 
of them that were gone before, but thought they might 
venture to follow their companions; but as soon as ever 
they were over the wall, and falling headlong, the case 
was altered. Even so it is with unconverted carnal men. 
One dieth by them, and drops into hell, and another 
follows the same way; and yet they will go after them, 
because they think not whither they are gone. Oh ! but 
when death hath once opened their eyes, and they see 
what is on the other side of the wall, even in another 
world, then what would they give to be where they 
were ?” 

7. Perhaps another person will say— It is true I am a 
sinner bad enough ; but I do some good things , and will 
not they atone for my sins ? Paul shall answer. “ With¬ 
out shedding of blood there is no remission ;” the good 
works of men were never appointed to the office of a 
Saviour; for “if righteousness come by the law, Christ is 
dead in vain.” Why do we call Jesus a Saviour , and 
yet hope to be saved by our works ? which is to become 
our own Saviour. But the word of God has settled this, 
and declares, Eph. ii. 8, “ By grace are we saved, through 
faith; and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God; 
not of works, lest any man should boast.” And to say 
the truth, no man can do works good in the sight of God 
until he is first justified by faith, for even “ the prayers 
of the wicked are an abomination to him;” and the 
thirteenth Article of the Church of England truly says, 
that “ Works done before the grace of Christ, and the 

10 


110 


THE VAIN EXCUSES 


inspiration of his Spirit, are not pleasant to God; and we 
doubt not but they have the nature of sin.” 

8. Unwilling to humble himself, and cry for mercy, 
another says— I am no scholar , and God expects no more 
than he gives. I answer, You may be a true Christian, 
and yet no scholar. God has sent you his word, and 
you can hear it, if you cannot read it; not to say, that 
since Sunday-schools have been set up, every person 
almost may learn to read, if he will. But know this, 
my friends, that ignorance will excuse none. Where 
knowledge is a duty, ignorance is a sin. It is not your 
want of opportunity to know the gospel, but your want of 
inclination to it, that keeps you ignorant. You take 
pains to know how you may get food and raiment, or 
charity; why then remain contentedly ignorant of u the 
things which belong to your everlasting peace V 1 Isa. 
xxvii. 11. 2 Thess. i. 8. 

9. Another person, advanced in years, says— 1 am too 
old to change my religion. What do you call religion ? 
Is it a set of notions and ceremonies ? Is it an attach¬ 
ment to certain ministers and buildings ? This is not 
religion. Religion is the devotedness of the heart to 
God; and without this the most pompous forms are of 
no avail. Nicodemus was an old man when he came to 
Christ, who said to him as we say to you, “ Except a man 
be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” In 
a word, if your religion has not changed you, it is high 
time to change your religion. 

10. Methinks I hear another say,— I intend to he better 
at some future time. So did F elix, who trembled when Paul 
preached, and said to him, “ When I have a convenient 
season, I will call for thee;” but that season never came. 
The way to hell is paved with good intentions. Should you 
die in your sins, which God forbid! out of your own 
mouth will you be condemned; for you are forced to 
admit that all is not right; and yet you venture to go on 
in sin, though you know not what a day may bring forth. 


OF SINNERS EXPOSED. 


Ill 


Go to tlie sick and dying bed of a neighbour, and hear 
him groan and complain of an aching head and sick 
stomach ; observe his shaking hand and disordered pulse; 
the rattling throat, the convulsed limbs, and the cold 
sweat; and say, is this a time for repentance? Are these 
poor dregs of life all you should offer to God ? Oh! be 
wiser; nor leave the service of God, or the salvation of 
your soul, to so improper a season. 

But, after all, the true reason remains untold. May 
not all your excuses be summed up in this one ?—I love 
sin , and cannot part with it; but observe, you must part 
with sin, or part with heaven. You must turn or burn. 
And are you content to enjoy the present pleasures of sin 
for a moment, and endure everlasting pains, which are 
their certain consequence? It is related of a man, who, 
by his excesses, was in danger of losing his sight; and 
being told by the physician that he must change his 
course or lose his sight, replied, “ Then farewell dear 
light!” Thus many, by persisting in sin, seem to say, 
—Farewell God of mercy, Saviour of sinners, Spirit of 
holiness ! farewell ye people of God! farewell life of 
happiness, heaven, and glory! and, for the sake of dear 
sin, welcome devils, welcome darkness, despair, and 
misery, for evermore. 

Application. —Thus, we have taken notice of some 
of those excuses which sinners often make, who love 
darkness rather than light; who follow lying vanities, and 
forsake their own mercies. But it is plain that all these 
excuses arise from the darkness, worldliness, and enmity 
of our fallen nature, and they show the necessity of hav¬ 
ing u a new heart, and a right spirit.” These excuses 
will scarcely now satisfy those who make them ; they will 
miserably fail them in the prospect of death; and they 
cannot be accepted at the bar of God. In the parable 
before us, it is said, that “ when the servant showed his 
Lord these things, he was angry , and said, None of those 
men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.” God 


112 THE VALUE OF THE SOUL. 


forbid this sentence should go forth against any person 
here. As yet, our gracious Lord commands us to “ go 
out into the high-ways and hedges, and compel them to 
come in, that his house may be filled.” In his name we 
come, and call you to the gospel-feast. Knowing the 
terrors of the Lord, we persuade you; and knowing the 
bounty of the Lord, we invite you. None ever repented 
of coming; nor were any rejected who came. Come 
then to Jesus. “The Spirit and the Bride say, Come; 
and let him that heareth, say, Come; and let him that is 
athirst, come: and whosoever will, let him take of the 
water of life freely.” 


“ All things are ready, come away, 
N or weak excuses frame ; 


Crowd to your places at the feast, 
And bless the founder’s name.” 



SERMON VIII. 


THE VALUE OF THE SOUL. 


Matt. xvi. 26. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the 
whole world, and lose his own soul ? or what shall a man 
give in exchange for his soul ? 

0 give these words their full force, remember whose 



_L they are. They are the words of Jesus Christ, the 
incarnate God, the Creator of the world. And who so 
able to determine that the soul is worth more than the 
world, as he who made them both ? He made the soul, 
and he made the world; yea, the price he paid for the re¬ 
demption of the soul was his own precious blood. Surely 
then he knew the value of the soul. Regard these words, 
my friends, as full of truth, and truth of the greatest im¬ 
portance to yourselves. And oh that he who first spake 



THE VALUE OF THE SOUL. 113 


them to his disciples, may now speak them to our hearts 
by his Holy Spirit! 

In the text there are three things which require our 
attention : 

I. Every man has a soul of the greatest value. 

II. There is a possibility of a man's losing his soul, 
yea, great danger of it. 

III. The whole world can make no amends for the loss 
of the soul. 

I. Every man has a soul of the greatest value. 

The nature of the human soul is, at present, but im¬ 
perfectly known. God has not told us so much about it, 
as to gratify our curiosity; but enough, to assist our 
faith. From the scriptures alone we learn anything sat¬ 
isfactory concerning our souls; and there we find that 
the soul is a something distinct from the body; a think¬ 
ing immortal substance ; and capable of living separately 
from the body in another world. This appears from 
Matt. x. 28, where our Lord says to his disciples—“ Fear 
not them which kill the body; but are not able to kill 
the soul; but rather fear him, which is able to destroy 
both soul and body in hell." In like manner, we learn 
from the parable of Dives and Lazarus, that the soul of 
the former was tormented in hell, while his body lay 
buried in earth. Jesus Christ assured the penitent thief 
on the cross, that he should be with him that very day in 
paradise, while, as we know, the body of Jesus was laid 
in the tomb. It is said of Judas, that he went to his own 
place , which certainly was hell; but his wretched carcass 
was on earth. Paul declared, that death would be gain 
to him, because, when absent from the body , he should 
be present with the Lord ; useful as he was in the church, 
and happy in that usefulness, he rather desired to die, to 
depart, to be with Christ , which was far better. 

Now this immortal soul is of immense value: and its 
excellency may be argued from the following considera¬ 
tions : 

10* 


114 THE VALUE OF THE SOUL. 


1. Its origin; it came immediately from God. Some¬ 
thing peculiar is said of the formation of man, Gen. i. 26. 
“ God said, Let us make man in our image after our like¬ 
ness.” Surely it was the soul of man, rather than his 
earthly body, that bore the divine resemblance. 

2. Consider again the vast and noble powers of the 
soul. When these powers are assisted by learning, how 
does the philosopher survey, measure, and describe the 
heavenly bodies, or search into the hidden secrets of na¬ 
ture ! 

3. Once more, consider the worth of the soul in the 
amazing price paid down for its redemption. u Foras¬ 
much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with cor¬ 
ruptible things, as silver or gold; but with the precious 
blood of Christ, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. Thousands of rams, or 
ten thousands of rivers of oil, would not have sufficed: 
nothing but the blood of the Lamb of God could atone 
for sin. 

Surely the ransom price of the soul bespeaks its infi¬ 
nite value. Oh ! let us learn to value our souls ! 

4. Consider again, the contention of heaven and hell 
for the soul of man. Heaven from above invites us to 
come to God. Jesus Christ came down on purpose to 
show us the way; yea, to be himself the way. The min¬ 
isters of the gospel “ watch for souls;” for this they 
study and pray, and travel and labour, that they may 
snatch perishing souls from the devouring flames. They 
are “ instant in season and out of season,” and are “ all 
things to all men,” that they may win some. Your se¬ 
rious relations, friends, and neighbours, long for your 
conversion; for this purpose they pray for you, speak to 
you, and lend you books. Yea, the angels of God are 
waiting around us, longing to be the messengers of good 
news to heaven, that sinners are repenting on earth. 

On the other hand, it is the business of the devil to 
tempt and destroy the souls of men. As a subtle ser¬ 
pent he lies in wait to deceive, or as a roaring lion he 


THE VALUE OF THE SOUL. 115 


roams about to destroy. Gladly would he seduce you 
into sin by the love of pleasure, or get you to neglect sal¬ 
vation by the love of business, or prejudice your minds 
against the gospel of life. 

5. Above all, consider the immense value of the soul, 
in that vast eternity of bliss or woe that awaits it. We 
are but in an embryo state at present, like a bird in the 
egg, or an infant in the womb. We shall soon die into 
eternity. We shall soon begin a state of being that will 
never end. The present life is merely the seed-time of 
eternity, and “ what a man soweth that also shall he 
reap; he that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity”—he 
shall meet with nothing but disappointment. “ He that 
soweth to the flesh shall reap corruption; but he that 
soweth to the spirit shall reap life everlasting.” Gal. vi. 
20. Considering the endless duration of a soul, the hap¬ 
piness or misery of one saved or damned sinner will be 
far greater than the temporal happiness or misery of all 
the inhabitants of the earth for a hundred years. 

II. That a man may lose his soul, and that he is in 
danger of so doing. 

The soul of a man cannot be lost by ceasing to be: for, 
being immortal in its nature, that is impossible. And oh! 
how gladly would a damned soul cease to be, if it were 
possible ! But for a soul to be lost is, for it to be lost to 
that happiness, here and hereafter, which is suited to its 
nature. It is to lose all the present pleasures of religion, 
“ the consolation that is in Christ,” “ the comfort of 
love,” the “ peace that passeth all understanding,” and 
“ the ioy of the Holy Ghost, which is unspeakable and 
full of glory.” 

But, oh ! who can tell the fearful import of that word 
lost, as it respects the future and eternal world ? The fol¬ 
lowing is related of a boy, who was sent upon some errand 
on a cold winter’s evening, was overtaken by a dreadful 
storm, when the snow fell so thick, and drifted in such a 
manner, that he missed his way ) and, continuing several 


116 THE VALUE OF THE SOUL. 


hours in that condition, was ready to perish. About 
midnight, a gentleman in the neighbourhood thought he 
heard a sound, but could not distinguish what it was, till, 
opening his window, he heard a human voice, at a great 
distance, pronouncing in a piteous tone— Lost! lost! 
lost! The poor boy, in some hope of help, kept crying 
out at intervals, Lost! lost! lost! Humanity led the gen¬ 
tleman to send persons diligently to seek for the lad, who 
was at length found and preserved. Happy for him that 
he perceived his danger, that he cried for help, and that 
his cry was heard! So will it be happy for us, if, sensible 
of the value of our souls, and their danger of perishing in 
hell, we now cry for mercy and help to that dear and 
gracious “ friend of sinners/ 7 that great and generous de¬ 
liverer, who “ came to seek and to save that which was 
lost.” 

Now, would we escape this dreadful end? Let us, 
then, seriously consider the danger of losing our souls. 
That there is danger of doing so, the word of God abun¬ 
dantly declares. Remember what Christ himself said, 
“ Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and 
broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many 
there be who go in thereat.” Is there no danger then ? 
Mark again what is said by the psalmist. “ The wicked 
shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget 
God.” The word of God describes the very people. See 
a list of them in 1 Cor. vL 9, and mark, whether any of 
you are there described. “ Know ye not that the un¬ 
righteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God ? be not 
deceived; neither fornicators—nor adulterers—nor effemi¬ 
nate/ 7 that is, persons of lascivious tempers and prac¬ 
tices, however private and alone —“ nor sodomites—nor 
thieves—nor covetous—nor drunkards—nor revilers—-nor 
extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 77 Look 
over this black catalogue again, and if you find your name 
there, own it. Blush and tremble to think what it must 
be to be shut out from the kingdom of God, and so lose 


THE VALUE OF THE SOUL. 117 


your own soul; and fhen say, is it worth while to lose 
your soul for any of these sinful pleasures and practices? 
Will you, with your eyes open, exchange your soul for any 
of these things ? 

I find, again, that all impenitent persons—all uncon¬ 

verted persons—all unregenerate persons, and all neglect- 
ers of the gospel , will lose their own souls ; and that you 
may be sure of this, I will mention the chapter and verse 
where it is so declared. All impenitent people, Luke 
xiii. 3. “ Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise per¬ 

ish.—All unconverted people, Matt, xviii. 3. “Verily 
I say unto you, Except ye be converted, ye shall not enter 
the kingdom of heaven/’—All unregenerate people, 
John iii. 3. “ Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a 

man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 

Thus it is plain, that the soul may be lost, and that 
there is great danger of it. Why else did the Son of 
God come down from heaven ? Why has he sent his 
gospel to us ? Why else do the ministers of Christ cry 
aloud and spare not ? Why else do they warn every man, 
and teach every man, but that they may convince sinners 
of their danger, and prevent them from losing their own 
souls? We now proceed to show, 

III. That the whole world can make no amends for the 
loss of a soul. 

II What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole 
world, and lose his own soul ?” It is not here supposed, 
that it is in the power of any man to conquer or possess 
the whole world. No man ever yet saw all the world, and 
life would be too short for that purpose. But it is to 
gain all the riches, honours, delights, and pleasures, that 
a man can possibly enjoy. It is to have every idea ac¬ 
complished, every sense gratified. It is to have the lust 
of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life in¬ 
dulged in the highest perfection. All that can please 
the palate ; the luxuries of all countries collected on the 
table of the epicure; all the delightful charms of music; 


118 THE VALUE OF THE SOUL. 


all the elegancies and conveniences of a noble palace; 
all that can gratify the smell and the touch; all the plea¬ 
sures of imagination, arising from grandeur, beauty, and 
novelty ;—and, supposing all this obtained—Solomon ob¬ 
tained it all. And what a poor all it proved ! u Vanity 
and vexation of spirit” was the total amount. 

And is this the whole of that for which men risk their 
souls? Foolish barter! Wretched exchange! Was 
Esau wise, who sold his birthright for a mess of pottage ? 
Was Judas wise, who sold his master, and his own soul 
too, for thirty pieces of silver ? Just as wise as the 
worldly man, who parts with heaven for the sordid and 
short-lived pleasures of earth. I remember reading of a 
woman, whose house was on fire. She was very active in 
removing her goods, but forgot her child, who was sleep¬ 
ing in the cradle. At length she remembered the babe, 
and ran with earnest desire to save it. But it is now too 
late. The flames forbade her entrance. Judge of her 
agony of mind, when she exclaimed, u 0 my child, my 
child ! I have saved my goods, but lost my child !” Just 
so it will be with many a poor sinner, who was all his life 
“ careful and troubled about many things,” while “ the 
one thing needful” was forgot. What will it then avail 
for a man to say— u I got a good place, or a good trade, 
but lost my soul ! I got a large fortune, but lost my 
soul. I got many friends, but God is my enemy. I lived 
in pleasure, but now pain is my everlasting portion. I 
clothed my body gaily, but my soul is naked before God.” 
Our Lord exposed this folly in the parable of the worldly 
rich man, Luke xii. 16, &c. His wealth increased abun¬ 
dantly. He was about to enlarge his barns. And then 
he promised himself a long life of idleness, luxury, and 
mirth. u But God said to him, Thou fool, this night 
shall thy soul be required of thee : then whose shall those 
things be which thou hast provided ?” 

Here, for the sake of the body, the soul was forgot. 
While he was dreaming of years to come, death was at 


THE VALUE OF THE SOUL. 119 


the door; and little dM he think, u that the next hour 
his friends would he scrambling for his estate, the worms 
for his body, and devils for his soul.” 

Application. —But why should you lose your souls ? 
Is there not a Saviour, and a great one ? He came from 
heaven on purpose to save that which was lost. Do you 
ask, “ What shall I do to be saved ?” We reply with the 
apostle Paul, “ Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
thou shalt be saved.” There is no name under heaven 
given among men whereby we must be saved, but that of 
Jesus. He is the only deliverer from the wrath to come. 
Take care that you trust in nothing else. Make not your 
good works, as they are called, your dependence. Virtue 
and morality are excellent things, and promote the peace 
and welfare of society, but they are not saviours. He 
that trusts them leans on a broken reed, builds on the 
yielding sand, and will be wofully disappointed at last. 
By grace alone are sinners saved, through faith ; and 
faith is the gift of God. Many, who have some concern 
for their souls, perish through their ignorance of Christ. 
They think themselves moral and devout, and doubt not 
that God will accept them. But this is a ruinous mis¬ 
take. Such moral persons are in as much danger as the 
most profane. This is the fatal stumbling-block of thou¬ 
sands. But know this, Christ alone can save our souls. 
He must be your wisdom, your righteousness, your sancti¬ 
fication, and redemption; your all in all. Fly then to 
him without delay. If you would not lose your soul, call 
upon him to save it. This is his office: he is the Sa¬ 
viour. It is his delight: he waits to be gracious. His 
open arms are ready to receive the trembling sinner. 
Turn ye to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope. Be¬ 
lieve in him, and you are safe. You may then say, with 
Paul, “ I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded 
that he is able to keep that which I have committed to 
him,” namely, the immortal soul, with all its eternal con¬ 
cerns, against that day , the day of final judgment. 


120 


THE PENITENT THIEF. 


SERMON IX. 

THE PENITENT THIEF. 

Luke xxiii. 42, 43.—And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember 
me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And he said unto 
him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me 
in Paradise. 

W HO can read these words, or consider the conversion 
and pardon of the dying thief, without exclaim¬ 
ing, in the words of Paul—“ Where sin abounded, grace 
did much more abound ?" Here is a wonderful instance 
of divine, free, and sovereign grace, abounding towards 
the chief of sinners. It is recorded for the encourage¬ 
ment of great sinners, in every age, that they may take 
refuge in Christ “ who are ready to perish;" and it af¬ 
fords a pleasing proof that “he is able to save to the ut¬ 
termost , all who come to God by him." 

Our blessed Lord was crucified with two thieves, and 
placed between them, that he might be thought the worst 
of the three. But thus the scripture was fulfilled, “ He 
was numbered with the transgressors/' or “ criminals." 
The chief priests, the scribes, the rulers, and the mob, all 
joined in mocking and deriding him; not content with 
beholding his extreme sufferings, they had the cruelty to 
add insult to his pains. “ Come down from the cross," 
said they, “ and then we will believe. Thou that didst 
save others, save thyselfand “ Save us too," said the 
thieves; not seriously, but by way of taunt; for, it is 
written, “ the thieves also, which were crucified with him, 
cast the same in his teeth." Oh what an instance is this 
of the savage hardness of the human heart! how dread¬ 
ful, that wicked men, dying in their sins, should strive to 
forget their own agonies, that they might join in abusing 
and insulting the Son of God! A state of more despe¬ 
rate and confirmed wickedness can hardly be conceived. 


THE PENITENT THIEF. 


121 


But behold the gfaoe of God ! One of these men is 
snatched as a brand from the fire : plucked, as in an in¬ 
stant, out of the very jaws of destruction. An astonish- 
ing, perhaps a sudden change is produced. He cries for 
mercy, and he obtains it. He looks to Jesus, and is 
saved. From being a hardened sinner, he becomes at 
once an eminent saint \ obtains assurance of immediate 
bliss; and passes from the cross to glory. 

Let us now carefully consider the two parts of our text, 
into which it naturally divides itself. 

I. The prayer of the d^ing malefactor. 

II. The gracious answer of the Saviour. 

In attending to the first, consider, for a moment, the 
character of the criminal, for a criminal he was; a male¬ 
factor ; a highwayman : one who belonged to a desperate 
gang of robbers who infested that country; a set of sedi¬ 
tious banditti, who were for shaking off the Roman yoke, 
and who lived by rapine and plunder. It is not impro¬ 
bable that he was a murderer also; for such men scruple 
not to kill as well as steal. This is the man who becomes 
the trophy of sovereign grace. For surely it will be ad¬ 
mitted that here was no previous goodness or worthiness 
to recommend him to the divine favour. 

Is it not astonishing to hear such a man as this suing 
for mercy ? But what cannot grace effect, and that in a 
moment ? He who in the first creation said, “ Let there 
be light, and light there was,” can, in an instant, dart a 
ray of spiritual light into the darkest mind. 

Behold he prayeth ! So it was observed of Saul, as a 
proof of his conversion. So we say, with wonder and 
surprise, of the thief—Behold he prayeth ! Perhaps he 
never prayed before, or he had long forgot to pray. Had 
he prayed, he had not come to the cross ) he had not been 
a thief: for, according to the Dutch proverb, “ Praying 
will make a man leave off sinning, or sinning will make a 
man leave off praying.” Now he prays • and, most wonder¬ 
ful ! prays to Him who hung upon a cross. He becomes 
11 


122 


THE PENITENT THIEF. 


a Christian at once, for a Christian is one who (( with the 
heart believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth 
maketh confession (of that faith) unto salvation.” Korn, 
x. 10. 

He calls Jesus, Lord, which no man can do aright 
“ but by the Holy Ghost.” He gives him this title of 
dignity and authority, though degraded by the whole 
Jewish nation, and branded with the name of a rebel, a 
Samaritan, an impostor. 

He owns him also as a King , for he begs to be remem¬ 
bered by Jesus, “ when he shall come into his kingdom.” 

He pays him the just honour of having heaven at his 
disposal, according to what our Lord afterwards declared, 
“ 1 am he that liveth and was dead; and, behold, I am 
alive for evermore, and have the keys of hell,” or, rather, 
the unseen world , including both heaven and hell. Rev. 
i. 18. The dying thief believed this, and his prayer was 
the language of faith, a confidential address to the Sa¬ 
viour. 

Observe also the modesty of his application. Remember 
me; not prefer me to honour in thy kingdom, as the two 
ambitious disciples had formerly requested ; but, simply, 
remember me ; he does not dictate how, or in what man¬ 
ner; he leaves it all to the Lord; but he commits his 
cause, his soul, to Christ; and, no doubt, with some de¬ 
gree of that satisfaction, which Paul expressed in the 
view of death ; “ I know whom I have believed, and am 
persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have com¬ 
mitted unto him against that day.” 2 Tim. i. 12. It 
was a request like that which Joseph made to the butler, 
Gen. xl. 14, “ Think on me, when it shall be well with 
thee; yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but 
forgot him.” The poor thief succeeded better; he was 
remembered, and saved ; for Jesus never said to any soul, 
“ Seek me in vain.” u Whosoever shall call on the name 
of the Lord shall be saved.” 

As the case of this man was singular and extraordinary, 


THE PENITENT THIEF. 


123 


so he gave very singutar and extraordinary proofs of his 
sincerity. The professions of repentance and faith, first 
made in the hour of distress and in the prospect of 
death, are often uncertain, and may justly be suspected. 
Too many who, in the expectation of death, have seemed 
to be much in earnest, and gave great hope to Christian 
friends of a real change, have proved by their conduct, 
when they recovered, that they were not sincere; for the 
vilest of men generally respect religion in their dying 
hours. But the penitent thief was enabled to give the 
most satisfactory evidence of sincerity \ and the answer of 
Christ to him puts it beyond a doubt. Observe now the 
marks of his sincerity. 

1. lie reproves sin in his comrade, especially his sin in 
reviling Christ—“ Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou 
art in the same condemnation V’ Persecutors of Christ, 
in his person, or in his members, awfully prove their 
want of the fear of God : and every sin is greatly aggra¬ 
vated by that hardness of heart which persists in it, even 
in the time of sore affliction. True repentance will 
always occasion a sincere hatred to sin. True grace will 
ever make a man feel for others. The love of God and 
the love of man are always united. The true penitent 
will say with penitent David, “ Then will I teach trans¬ 
gressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto 
thee.” Ps. li. 13. 

2. He condemns himself\ aud admits the justice of 
God and of the magistrate in bringing him to the fatal 
tree—“We suffer justly, for we receive the due reward of 
our deeds.” Shameful and painful as our death is, it is 
no more than we deserve. A just sense of sin will make 
a sufferer patient. He will say, “ Against thee, thee only, 
have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight ) that thou 
mightest be justified when thou speakest, and clear when 
thou judgest.” Ps. ii. 4. 

3. He vindicates Christ —“ But this man hath done 
nothing amiss.” The Jewish courts had condemned him 


124 


THE PENITENT THIEF. 


to death as the vilest of miscreants, and the whole multi¬ 
tude had cried, “ Crucify him, crucify him;” but the 
thief, more honest and better taught than they, justifies 
his whole character: and truly says, “he hath done 
nothing amiss.” Thus, in the face of all his infamous 
aud powerful slanderers, he declares the innocence of • 
Jesus, who was, indeed, “holy, harmless, undefiled, and 
separate from sinners.” 

Thus was clearly manifested the reality of that great 
and gracious change which had taken place in his heart. 
He was evidently enlightened in the knowledge of Christ; 
he was convinced of his sin and misery; he was humbled 
for it; he reproved sin in his neighbour; he honoured 
the character of Christ; he owned him as Lord, and 
King, and Saviour; aud he commits his departing spirit 
into his faithful hands. What wonders of grace were 
crowded into this small space, enabling him, in a few 
minutes, to give more glory to Christ than many do in 
the whole course of their lives ! 

II. Let us now proceed to consider the gracious answer 
of our Saviour to his dying request. “ And Jesus said 
unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be 
with me in Paradise.” 

How readily does God regard the sinner’s cry! With 
speed like that which winged the feet of the Prodigal’s 
aged father, who no sooner beheld at a distance his long- 
lost, but now returning son, but “ while he was yet a 
great way off, had compassion, and ran and fell upon his 
neck, and kissed him.” God is slow to anger, and quick 
to mercy; ready to forgive. He discerns the first motion 
of the soul heaven-ward, and while the sinner is “ yet 
speaking” in prayer, the prayer is heard and answered. 

Observe the substance of the answer—a place in para¬ 
dise—Christ’s company there— immediately, “ to-day;” 
and the solemn assurance of the whole, “ Verily, I say 
unto thee,” it shall be so. 

A place in paradise is promised; a place in hell was 


THE PENITENT THIEF. 


125 


his desert, and wouldTiave been his portion, had he died 
in the same state he was in half an hour before. Heaven 
is here called “Paradise;” in allusion to the garden of 
Eden which the Lord God himself planted, and in which 
he put the man he formed. By sin, Adam soon lost his 
garden, and his God. “ He drove out the man.” By 
the first Adam, Paradise is lost; by the second Adam, 
the Lord from heaven, Paradise is regained; a far better 
Paradise; a garden from whence the blessed inhabitants 
shall never be driven out. “ Here grows the Rose of 
Sharon, and the Lily of the valley. Here flourishes the 
plant of renown ; here the unforbidden tree of knowledge, 
and the unguarded tree of life.” No subtle serpent 
annoys this happy spot, any more to seduce; nor shall the 
free will of man betray him to ruin again. 

Jesus promises to the penitent the enjoyment of his 
own company there —“ this day thou shalt be with me in 
Paradise.” Christ, then, was going, not to hell, to redeem 
the damned, as some have supposed, but to heaven; 
where he assures the thief he shall also be. It is the 
presence of Christ that makes heaven so glorious and 
happy. With this he consoled his mourning friends, 
John xiv. “ I am going to prepare a place for you ; and 
I will come again, and receive you to myself, that where 
I am there ye may be also.” Amazing favour, “ to be 
with Christ!” this is enough. He asked a bare remem¬ 
brance, as if distant; Jesus promises his own immediate 
presence. 

And how quickly was this to be enjoyed ! “ To-day.” 
He had prayed—“Lord, remember me when thou comest 
into thy kingdom.” He knew not when that might be; 
perhaps he thought of some very distant time. Christ 
says “ to day.” How short and speedy was this man’s 
journey to glory ! In the morning, he was posting to 
hell; in the evening he is with Christ in heaven. This 
scripture teaches us a pleasant truth, namely, that there 
is no interval between the time of our departure from this 

11* 


126 


THE PENITENT THIEF. 


world, by death, and our admission into the realms of 
glory. Some have dreamed that the soul sleeps till the 
resurrection; but Christ assures the thief, and assures us 
by the same word, of an immediate entrance into heaven ; 
that so, being “ absent from the body/' we may be “ pre¬ 
sent with the Lord." 

Application. —Beware of abusing this glorious in¬ 
stance of free grace. Many have been very cautious in 
speaking of it, and have rather laboured to obscure its 
glory, by studying to find out something good in the 
character of the thief, lest this example of grace, purely 
free, and granted at the last hour, should have a danger¬ 
ous tendency, and encourage men to defer their repent¬ 
ance ; presumptuously hoping to be saved at the last mo¬ 
ment, like the thief. But a sober consideration of the 
matter may prevent this abuse; while we must take care 
to do nothing to diminish the glory of divine grace, in 
this instance so illustriously displayed. It has been often 
and justly observed, “ We have but one such instance 
recorded in all the Bible: one sinner converted at the 
hour of death, that we may hope; and but one, that we 
may fear." And suppose it had once happened that a 
person had leaped down from a lofty precipice without 
losing his life, would it be prudent for ten thousand other 
people to run the risk, and leap down after him ? 
Dreadfully hazardous, indeed, it is, for men to presume 
on a death-bed repentance. “ Repentance is the gift of 
God ;" he is bound to bestow it at no time; and can it 
be reasonably expected at the close of a life of sin and re¬ 
bellion ? Let it be considered how many die suddenly, 
without a moment's warning; how many die on their 
beds, who are so flattered by their disorder, or their 
friends, that they have no expectation at all of death. 
Others die in the delirium of a fever; or are otherwise 
disabled by extreme agony or weakness for serious reflec¬ 
tion. And some die hardened, like the other thief on 
the cross; for, in general, men die as they live. 


IRRESOLUTION REPROVED. 127 


May the goodness of God, so divinely displayed in this 
instance, draw thee to repentance. Jesus Christ “ came, 
to seek and to save that which was lost.” This was 
always his character, and he maintained it to the last. 
His enemies reproached him for it; they called him “the 
friend of sinnersso he was; but not the friend of sin. 
Blessed be his name, he is “ the same yesterday, to-day, 
and for ever,” he casts out none that come. Oh ! come, 
and try him. What encouragement is here for him 
“ that is ready to perish ;” who has a world of guilt, and 
not a grain of worthiness ! Say, with the dying thief, 
“ Lord, remember me, now thou art in thy kingdom,” 
and he will find a place in Paradise for you, even for 
you. 


SERMON X. 

IRRESOLUTION REPROVED, AND DECISION RECOM¬ 
MENDED. 

1 Kings xviii. 21. And Elijah came unto all the people, and 
said, IIow long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord 
be God, follow him ; but if Baal, then follow him. 

I N various periods of human life, and particularly in 
youth, there is a remarkable hesitation as to the 
choice a person shall make. On the one hand religion 
demands his attention; sets before him the destructive 
consequences of sin, and the necessity of forsaking it; 
requires him to relinquish the bewitching vanities of the 
world, and offers him, in their stead, the pleasures of a 
good conscience, and an eternal weight of glory in the fu¬ 
ture world. But nearer at hand, the smiling world pre¬ 
sents her flattering joys; invites him immediately to taste 
her delights, and leave both the bitters and sweets of re¬ 
ligion to another day. 

Arc there any here who thus hesitate ?—I have a mes- 



128 IRRESOLUTION REPROVED, 


sage from God unto you: the message which Elijah de¬ 
livered to the tribes of Israel on the most solemn occasion, 
when hesitating whether to worship Jehovah or Baal. 
“ How long halt ye between two opinions? If Jehovah 
be the true God, let him alone be worshipped: but if 
Baal can prove his divinity, let him have your adoration .” 
Why hesitate any longer? If the religion of Jesus be 
true, and holy, and good, why neglect to be seriously re¬ 
ligious ? If the way of sin and folly be safe and right; 
if God and conscience approve; and you are sure that it 
will end well—then pursue it without reserve.” 

Favour me with your serious attention to what I shall 
offer upon the two following observations: 

1. Many persons, and young persons especially, are ir¬ 
resolute and changeable with respect to religion. 

2. Such is the reality, pleasure, and advantage of true 
religion, that it deserves and demands our whole hearts; 
and we ought not to hesitate a moment about giving them 
fully to it. 

Let us first observe, (and who has not observed it ?) 
that many persons seem to hesitate, and show that they 
are irresolute and undetermined, whether they shall be 
religious or not. 

In this state the person resembles king Agrippa, who, 
under the temporary impression of Paul’s preaching, was 
constrained to say—“ Almost thou persuadest me to be a 
Christian”—almost! alas! only almost, not altogether 
persuaded; some secret reserve is yet made; the strong¬ 
hold of the heart is yet in the possession of sin, which, 
without the interposition of almighty grace, will ere long 
regain all its former domiuion. 

The bewitching pleasures of sin once more begin to 
court the soul: some youthful lusts present their flatter¬ 
ing baits to the senses, and find within a party eager to 
catch at them. We are fallen creatures; our minds are 
become carnal; and we have a strong propensity to in¬ 
dulge the flesh. The seed of every sin is deposited in 


AND DECISION RECOMMENDED. 129 

» 

our corrupt nature; and though the seed may long con¬ 
tinue dormant, yet, if, like a vegetable seed that has been 
buried deep in the earth, it be brought towards the sur¬ 
face, and placed in a favourable situation, it will unfold 
all its hidden powers, and ripen into open transgression. 
Such is the fascinating power of sin, especially when be¬ 
come habitual, that it will insist upon indulgence at any 
rate; even at the expense of fortune, character, and life 
itself. And now all those promising appearances before 
spoken of disappear, and are covered, like the writing on 
the sea-shore, with the overwhelming tide. 

The strong attraction of evil company is another source 
of danger. Man is formed for society; and we may add, 
he is formed by his society, whether it be good or evil. 
When Satan sinned and fell, he speedily drew man into 
the same condemnation. When Eve was prevailed upon 
to taste the forbidden fruit, she hasted to induce her 
husband to commit the same transgression. It is observ¬ 
able, what pains are usually taken by the votaries of 
pleasure and of vice, to lead their companions into the 
same; how strongly do they solicit the young and the un¬ 
suspecting, to become parties in their ensnaring amuse¬ 
ments and dangerous pleasures ! Not content with their 
own sin and ruin, they become the missionaries of Satan, 
and labour to make proselytes for hell. But oh, that the 
advice of the wise man were regarded—“ My son, if sin¬ 
ners entice thee, consent thou not 1” 

The fear of shame, on account of religion, keeps many 
in a hesitating state. Glorious and highly honourable as 
the religion of Jesus certainly is, the advocates of sin 
will pretend that it is a mean and low thing, not fit for 
persons of discernment, of taste, of fashion; they will say, 
that to be moved with religious affections, is to be irra¬ 
tional and enthusiastic; and that your religious people, 
with all their pretensions, are only concealed hypocrites, 
and all their devotion merely whining and cant. Here, 
perhaps, the youth is brought to a stand. “ Shall I 




130 IRRESOLUTION REPROVED, 


then/' says he, “ encounter all this shame and disgrace ? 
Must I, if religious, be treated with contempt by the 
world in general ? Who can endure this V 1 

But stop, my friend, and let us argue this matter. 
What do you blush at ? Are you ashamed of acknow¬ 
ledging your Creator, and bowing the knee before your 
Redeemer? Is it an unreasonable thing to credit the 
God of truth, or to love him who is infinitely amiable ? 
Is it mean and base to secure your everlasting happiness, 
even while at the same time you are promoting your best 
interests upon earth ? If you are tempted to yield to the 
world, because it forms the great majority, you are in a 
mistake. “ There are more, far more with us than with 
them.” I know that the visible crowd of deceived mor¬ 
tals take part against religion, but what are they, com¬ 
pared with those who espouse it ? Is not the great 
and eternal God with us? Does not he approve the 
humble and the pious soul? Is not Jesus, the glorious 
Saviour, with us ? He was once himself despised and 
rejected of men on account of his piety, and now he is 
exalted on the throne of glory, he knows how to pity 
and defend his persecuted people. On our side we boast 
the innumerable tribes of angels, whose business and de¬ 
light it is to minister to the heirs of salvation. Shall we 
be ashamed to do the will of God on earth as angels do 
in heaven ? 

Thus then we see the tempted soul halting between 
two opinions. At one time, religion appears not only 
necessary, but excellent and beautiful: the Sabbath a 
sweet day of devotional rest; the house of God has a 
thousand charms to invite attendance; the Bible a book 
of sacred instruction and entertainment; and prayer, a 
rational and delightful employment. But, through the 
power of temptation, at another time, the scene is 
changed. Insensibly mixing with men of the world, the 
heart is seduced again, and gayety, music, dress and dan¬ 
cing assume new charms and captivate the affections. 


AND DECISION RECOMMENDED. 131 

Then religion sinks in the scale. Religion seems to wear 
a frowning aspect; the cavils of the infidel gather weight 
and importance; and infidelity promises, not future hap¬ 
piness, but present gratification, and that without the re¬ 
straints which were feared before. Religion offers to 
make the man a saint; but as this appears too laborious, 
he relinquishes the future hope, and inclines to become a 
happy brute. 

But still the mind is unsettled. Conscience is on the 
Lord’s side. Something within yet withholds assent, and 
fears that all will not end well at last. The very sight 
of a good man will shake its confidence. A tolling bell, 
the view of a funeral, the news of a sudden death, or the 
apprehension of a fit of sickness, will excite alarm : and a 
faithful sermon will make the man like Felix tremble. 
How many have we known, who, when spectators of the 
death of others, or under apprehensions of their own, 
have found their ground untenable, and have admitted 
that there is a reality in religion, and that it is necessary 
to their peace! 

2. Such is the reality, pleasure, and advantage of true 
religion, that it deserves and demands our whole hearts. 

But you will say, What do you mean by religion ? The 
question is good. I will answer it. I mean by religion, 
not a system of opinions, nor a set of ceremonies; but a 
humbling conviction of our ruined state by sin; the ap¬ 
plication of the soul to Christ, as an all-sufficient Saviour; 
and a sincere endeavour to oppose sin and live unto holi¬ 
ness. This is real religion—the religion of the gospel— 
the religion which the Holy Spirit teacheth, and the dis¬ 
ciple of Jesus learneth. It is for the mind to be enlight¬ 
ened, so as to discover the holy character of God; to see 
our own deformity in the glass of his holy law; to be 
humbled in the dust as penitent sinners : and then heart¬ 
ily to embrace the salvation proclaimed by the gospel; to 
receive Jesus as our teacher, our righteousness, and our 
Lord, and to give up ourselves, without reserve, to be his 
for ever. 


132 IRRESOLUTION REPROVED. 


This religion is a glorious reality. It is scriptural; it 
is rational; it is experimental; it is practical. It an¬ 
swers the true ends of religion; it makes us holy and 
happy. It renews the heart; it reforms the manners; 
and secures eternal bliss. 

This is the religion, which, for substance, has been the 
choice and the practice of all the wise and good men who 
ever lived, from the days of Abel until now. This is the 
religion we affirm to be very pleasant and advantageous; 
for it includes the sublime delight of a good conscience 
delivered from guilt by the atoning blood of Christ; the 
inexpressible pleasure of communion with God in his or¬ 
dinances, public and private; the privilege of society 
with the excellent on earth; preservation from a thou¬ 
sand mischiefs and miseries to which the irreligious are 
liable. It affords a solid ground of consolation in the una¬ 
voidable evils of life ; and it sustains the soul amidst the 
awful circumstances of death, with a lively hope full of 
immortality. 

These and many more are the present advantages of 
true godliness : but who can describe those which are to 
come? Who can tell what are the joys at God’s right 
hand—what it is to be with Christ, and behold his glory 
—what it is to enter into the joy of the Lord; to see him 
as he is; to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints 
in light; to spend eternal ages in the beatific presence 
of God and the Lamb ? 

“ Choose then, this day/’ this moment, “whom you 
will serve. If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord ; 
choose this day whom ye will serve.” Only remember, 
“ ye cannot serve two masters.” God will not accept of 
a divided heart. Does your heart say—“ God forbid that 
we should forsake the Lord ?” Then be it so. From 
this happy moment, let it be a settled point, religion, 
serious religion, vital religion shall be my first great busi¬ 
ness, and everything that opposes it shall give place. So 
say, and so do, my brethren, and you are made for ever. 


CHRIST THE GREAT P H Y S I C IA N . 133 


Shall I then add, as Joshua in a similar case, (( Ye are 
witnesses against yourselves, that ye have chosen you the 
Lord to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses V 1 
May God confirm your resolution, and by his almighty 
grace ever enable you to act conformably to it! 


SERMON XI. 

CHRIST THE GREAT PHYSICIAN. 

Matt. ix. 12. But when he heard that, he said unto them, 
They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are 
sick. 

I T is obvious to all, that a man in perfect health, who 
feels no pain, and is conscious of no disease, will not 
employ a physician. Whatever reports he may have 
heard respecting him, or whatever opinion he may enter¬ 
tain of his skill, he sees no present occasion for his assis¬ 
tance ; and this was the condition of the Pharisees while 
our Lord was upon earth. He came “to seek and to 
save that which was lost;” and in the pursuit of this 
benevolent object, he disdained not freely to converse 
with publicans and sinners: not that he meant to coun¬ 
tenance their sins; no; he mingled with them only to 
reclaim them, just as physicians go among the diseased 
merely to effect their cure. But this gave great offence to 
the proud Pharisees—men u who trusted in themselves 
that they were righteous, and despised others.” They 
complained of his conduct to his disciples, saying, “ Your 
master keeps company, and eats and drinks with publi¬ 
cans and sinners;” but “ Wisdom is justified of her child¬ 
ren.” Our Lord, in the text, vindicates his own con¬ 
duct, while he accounts for that of the Pharisees : “ The 
whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.”— 
12 



134 CHRIST THE GREAT PHYSICIAN* 


These men are insensible of the state of their own souls, 
while others were rejoicing that they had found a remedy. 

These words may teach us the four following things: 

First—That sin is the disease of the soul. 

Secondly—Jesus is the great physician. 

Thirdly—Those who are insensible of their sins, ne¬ 
glect him. 

Fourthly—Those who know their true condition, are 
very desirous of his help. 

In the first place, we are taught that sin is the disease 
of the soul. We brought it into the world with us, deri¬ 
ving it from our first parents; for “by one man sin en¬ 
tered into the world, and death by sin.” It is with strict 
propriety that sin is thus described, for it has just the 
same effects upon the soul that disease has upon the body. 
Sickness destroys all our powers of action, and deprives 
us of ability to transact our affairs, however important 
and urgent they may be : whatever dangers we might 
avoid, whatever advantages we might obtain, there is a 
total inability for action; and thus it is with the soul. 
We have before us a vast eternity, and this is the only 
season for preparation; it is the seed time of eternity; 
we are now called upon to “ work out our own salvation 
with fear and trembling;” but while this sickness pre¬ 
vails, we have no heart to engage in this great work; we 
cannot bear the thought of necessary exertion. Even 
the ordinary means of grace are frequently neglected; 
the Bible, and prayer, and Sabbaths, and sermons, are 
shunned; for the sinner has no heart to them. 

Sickness deprives a man of rest; he cannot be composed; 
he feels a constant uneasiness, an insatiable thirst: and 
thus, as the scripture saith, “ There is no peace to the 
wicked he turns from creature to creature, seeking 
rest and finding none; the world disappoints him; he 
meets with repeated and perpetual difficulties; this per¬ 
haps irritates his temper, and makes him a burden to 
himself and others; to get rid of his cares, he flies to 


CHRIST THE GREAT PHYSICIAN. 135 


amusements and intemperance; but the disease, instead 
of being relieved, is aggravated, and he grows worse and 
worse. 

Disease frequently occasions delirium. A sick man 
knows not where he is, or what he says; when he is at 
death’s door he fancies himself perfectly well, and if not 
prevented, would be in danger of destroying himself. 
Thus a man in a state of sin is furiously bent on his own 
ruin; he will not be persuaded there is any danger in 
his case; and he is very angry with the servants of Christ 
who would convince him of his error. Solomon says, 
“ The heart of the sons of men is fully set to do evil; 
madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that 
they go to the dead.” How do such persons fondly 
imagine that their hearts are good, even while their ways 
are perverse and desperately wicked ! 

Sin deforms the body. “ When God with rebukes 
correcteth man for his iniquity, he maketh his beauty to 
consume like a moth ;”—“ He changeth his countenance, 
and sendeth him away.” The finest face may be soon 
disfigured, and the most lovely person become loathsome ; 
but, in the sight of God, nothing is so beautiful as holi¬ 
ness, nothing so loathsome as sin. 

Finally, disease is the forerunner of death. Many dis¬ 
eases are mortal in their tendency, and if not seasonably 
checked, will bring the patient to the grave. Some dis¬ 
eases baffle the skill of the ablest physician. Sin, which 
is the disease of the soul, is certainly mortal, if Christ the 
great physician does not interpose: “ Death was the 
original threatening, to keep man from sin.” God said 
to Adam, u In the day that thou eatest” of the forbidden 
fruit, “ thou shalt surely die;” and die he did; his body 
became mortal; and though he had a long reprieve, he 
returned at length to the dust from whence he came. 
But he immediately suffered a moral death; he became 
“ dead in trespasses and sins,” and liable to the bitter 
pains of eternal death. And thus, “ by the offence of 


136 CHRIST THE GREAT PHYSICIAN. 


one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation.” 
This is our state: we are, universally, dead in sin 3 we 
have bodies doomed to the grave, and souls exposed to 
the just anger of an offended God. This is indeed a mis¬ 
erable state 3 but it would be far more so, if there were 
no remedy. “ Is there then no balm in Gilead 3 is there 
no physician there V 1 Blessed be God, we can, with 
confidence, say, There is a physician, and he no less a 
person than the Son of God 3 and this is what we propose, 

In the second place, to notice—That Jesus Christ is 
the great Physician. There is none upon earth equal to 
the cure of the souls of men, but the Son of God 3 he 
pitied us in our low estate j he saw us perishing in our 
sins and in our blood 3 and he left his throne of glory—• 
visited this sinful globe—took our nature into union with 
his own 3 yea, he u himself took upon him our infirmi¬ 
ties 3 he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows 3 
yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and 
afflicted 3 but he was wounded for our transgressions 3 he 
was bruised for our iniquities 3 the chastisement of our 
peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.” 
When on earth he gave many gracious specimens of his 
power to heal the souls of men, by healing their bodies 3 
and such was his power, that a all manner of diseases/’— 
“ every sickness and every disease” among the people 
was healed 3 yea, such was the compassion of our blessed 
Lord, that of all the numerous crowds of sick and afflicted 
people who applied to him, not one of them was sent 
away without relief. 

In the cure of our souls two things are necessary: we 
are guilty, and must be justified 3 we are polluted, and 
must be sanctified: he performs both these parts of our 
cure 3 which is intimated by the expression, that out of 
his side came water and blood. See the 1st Epistle of 
John, 5th chapter, and 6 th verse, “ This is he that came 
by water and blood, even Jesus Christ 3 not by water 
ouly, but by water and blood.” So that this may encourage 
us to apply to him, and say, 


CHRIST THE GREAT P H Y S I C I A N. 137 


“ Be of sin the double cure— 

Cleanse us from its guilt and power.” 

Seeing, then, there is such a great-arid able Physician, 
may we not ask, “ Why is not the hurt of the daughter 
of iny people healed ?” This leads us, 

In the third place, to observe that men generally are 
too insensible of their sins, to apply to Christ; “ the 
whole need not a physician.” It is the worst symptom of 
the disease of sin, that men are totally insensible of it, or 
think themselves so slightly diseased, that they are in no 
danger; and, at all events, that the future season will be 
time enough. Sin destroys all our faculties; it blinds 
the eyes of our understanding, and deadens the feelings 
of our hearts; the mind is so darkened, that it does not 
behold sin as it is, and dreadful mistakes prevail, respect¬ 
ing its true and dangerous nature. Let us endeavour to 
detect some of these. 

Some of these fatal mistakes among men arise from ig¬ 
norance of the holy law. If sin be “ the transgression 
of the law,” we ought to consider, what are the demands 
of that law; and we shall find it requires perfect obedience 
to the will of God, and that, flowing from perfect love to 
him; it requires also that we should love our neighbour, 
in all instances, as ourselves. Now, while men are igno¬ 
rant of this holy law, they discover no disease ; but when, 
as in the case of Paul, the commandment comes, with a 
powerful conviction of its spiritual nature, unsatisfied de¬ 
mands, and fearful curse, then, like him, they are ready 
to die. 

Another mistake respects the depravity of our natures. 

Of this most men are ignorant. 11 God made man up¬ 
right, but he hath sought out many inventions.” Man 
is now an apostate creature, and it may be said of him, 
in all his faculties, as was said of Israel, in all the 
branches of her civil and ecclesiastical estate, “ the whole - 
head is sick, the whole heart is faint.” 

Another dangerous mistake respects their opinion of 
12 * 


138 CHRIST THE GREAT PHYSICIAN. 


their own goodness. How many persons fancy they have 
good hearts, good desires, good intentions; they mean, 
they say, no harm, they do none to any man, even while 
they are living in open rebellion against God, and in the 
total neglect both of his law and of his gospel. Thus it 
is that men deceive themselves; they are “ whole” in 
their own esteem, and are angry with those who would 
convince them of their danger, though with the friendly 
design of their obtaining a cure. Others will admit that 
all is not quite right; they cannot say they are in perfect 
health, but they see no occasion to be alarmed; they are 
not worse than others : besides, say they, God is very 
merciful, and he will not deal with his creatures severely; 
and if they should come short at last, the merits of Christ 
will make up the deficiency; besides, they design to re¬ 
form and repent, at some future period. Now all this 
discovers a dreadful degree of ignorance; they are 
strangers to themselves, and to the nature of that gospel, 
which, take it in which view you please, always supposes 
that man is in a fallen, dangerous situation. And hence 
it has justly been called “ the religion of a sinner;” hence 
too we find, that men have 11 followed after the law of 
righteousness, but they did not attain unto itthe reason 
was, “ they sought it not by faith, but by the works of 
the law.” Rom. x. 

Take a view of the gospel itself for a few moments, and 
you will see that the gospel supposes the condition of 
man to be not that of one who is whole, but who is ex¬ 
ceedingly diseased. Why is the love of God in giving 
his Son spoken of as amazing love, as transcending all 
manner of conception ?—“ God so loved the world, that 
he gave his only-begotten Son;” and for what end ? 
That men “ might not perish ,” as they must have done 
but for this marvellous provision of love, but “ that they 
might have everlasting life.” Again the love of Jesus 
Christ is spoken of as the most extraordinary thing in 
the world, and as absolutely necessary for the salvation of 


CHRIST THE GREAT PHYSICIAN. 139 


man—that one must die for the people—“ the just for the 
unjust.” Our case must have been without remedy, but for 
him, and his death is represented as being the sole foun¬ 
dation of our hope; so that to depend upon anything 
else is, in effect, to frustrate the grace, and to say that 
“ Christ died in vain.” Again, Take a view of the offices 
of our dear Redeemer, and what do they imply ? Is he 
a prophet ? Then we were ignorant creatures, and needed 
his instructions. Is he a priest ? Then we were guilty, 
and wanted his sacrifice. Is he a king ? Then we were 
feeble and weak, and unable to defend or rule ourselves. 
Look at all the operations of the Holy Spirit, and they speak 
the same language, and while they hold out to us the di¬ 
vine and only remedy, they imply strongly our wretched 
state. Now all those that are ignorant of this, neglect to 
apply to the Lord Jesus Christ; but some acquaintance 
with it is found in all those who resort to him for relief 
—such as, in our text, are described as “ sick.” This 
leads us, 

In the fourth place, to observe, that those who know 
their true condition will gladly apply to Jesus Christ as 
their physician. For the eyes of their understandings 
are enlightened; they see the law of God in its spiritual 
nature and extensive requirements; they perceive the 
fearful consequences of its violation, for “ Cursed is every 
one that continueth not in all things that are written in the 
book of the law to do them.” Further, their heart is 
softened, the heart of stone is taken away, and God has 
given them a feeling heart of flesh; the conscience is 
quickened; convinced, it may be, at first, of some one 
particular and flagrant transgression ; but they are led back 
in painful reflection on the whole of their past lives, re¬ 
collecting long-forgotten sins, and tracing them to the 
sad source of all—Original Sin. Hence earnest desires 
and sincere prayers are offered for relief. u What shall 
I do to be saved ?” is the anxious inquiry. u Behold he 
prayeth !” is the observation that every one makes upon 


140 SINNERS ARE SELF-DESTROYERS 


the returning sinner; then, indeed, the soul applies in 
earnest to the gospel of the grace of Jesus, and the gos¬ 
pel displays his ability to heal; it shows us that Jesus is 
possessed of almighty power; it shows that he possesses 
the same power that created and supports the world. 
The gospel also displays the loving heart of the compas¬ 
sionate Redeemer; it records also the wonderful cures he 
has already performed, and which are left upon record 
for this reason, that in all. future ages great sinners may 
be encouraged to repent; then the soul looks up to him 
as the Israelites looked to the brazen serpent in the wil¬ 
derness, when stung by the fiery serpents, and ready to 
die of their wounds; and whoever thus looks to him shall 
be immediately healed; persuaded, fully persuaded both 
of his power and his grace, the soul finds health restored, 
and peace afforded to his guilty conscience. 


SERMON XII. 

SINNERS ARE SELF-DESTROYERS, BUT SALVATION IS OF 
GOD. 

IIos. xiii. 9. 0 Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is 
thine help. 

} AROM these words I shall show, 

_ First, That sin is a most destructive evil. 

Secondly, That every sinner is a self-destroyer. 

And thirdly, That there is help and salvation in Jesus 
Christ, even for self-destroying sinners. “ 0 Israel, thou 
hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thine help.” 

In the first place, we shall show that sin is a most de¬ 
structive evil; and if men were convinced of this, the 
great point in religion would be gained : but men’s per¬ 
sistence in sin, their false peace, and their neglect of the 



BUT SALVATION IS OF GOD. 141 


gospel,—all prove they are not convinced of this; and we 
ourselves, in fact, seem to be but half convinced. 

To prevent the impression of this awful truth—that 
sin is a destructive evil—Satan interposes with his first 
lie. “Ye shall not surely die,” said he to our first 
mother, though God had said, “ In the day thou eatest 
thereof thou shalt surely die;” and in the same way, Sa¬ 
tan has ever maintained his destructive system ; it is by 
this means, chiefly, that he has “ deceived the whole 
world.” We are likewise cautioned against “the deceit¬ 
fulness of sin;” and we are told that “ the heart of man 
is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” 
Oh, when these three notorious deceivers meet together, 
woe be to man—a deceitful heart, deceitful sin, and a de¬ 
ceitful devil, aided by the general opinion and practice 
of a deceitful world in every successive age ! Transgres¬ 
sors think it very hard that their beloved pursuits should 
be deemed so dangerous and destructive; but we appeal 
to “the law and to the testimony.” The same word 
which assures you that there is a God, that you have an 
immortal soul, that it is appointed for men to die and 
come to judgment, that there is a future resurrection, 
that there is a heaven and a hell,—the same word assures 
you that sin is a most destructive evil. What was it but 
sin that destroyed the happiness of angels in heaven, 
transformed them into infernal demons, and rendered 
them miserable for ever? What was it that destroyed 
the happiness of our first parents in the garden of Para¬ 
dise ? Why did God drive them out ? What destroyed 
the image of God in human nature ? for man was made 
in the image of God ; but what is he now ? an awful mix¬ 
ture of the brute and the fiend. Now we find darkness 
instead of knowledge, depravity instead of holiness, guilt 
instead of righteousness. 

Turn your eyes to the surface of the earth. What de¬ 
stroyed its original fertility, and made it productive of 
“ thorns and of thistles ?” The ground was “ cursed for 


142 SINNERS ARE SELF-DESTROYERS, 


man’s sake,” because he was a sinner. What has de¬ 
stroyed the general tranquillity of man? It was sin that 
opened the door to millions of evils. The poor babe en¬ 
ters weeping into the world, while it risks the life of its 
mother ! What legions of fierce and loathsome diseases 
assail us in every stage of life—in infancy, in youth, and 
in old age! Behold the youth carried headlong by his 
tumultuous passions into vice, extravagance, and destruc¬ 
tion. See then the man in middle age, struggling with 
labour, poverty, care, vexation, and disappointment; and 
then behold age, bending under the weight of infirmities, 
and saying, “ Thou art righteous, 0 God, but ‘ thou 
writest bitter things against me, and makest me to pos¬ 
sess the sins of my youth.’ ” 

Sin is the grand disturber of the world. It is sin that 
disturbs the conscience, that disturbs families, churches, 
cities, and nations. None will deny that it has destroyed 
millions of millions of the human race, sweeping away, 
once in about every thirty years, all its numerous inhabi¬ 
tants, “ for dust we are, and to dust we must all return.” 
What vast multitudes die in their infancy ! What mul¬ 
titudes are cut off by intemperance! How many have 
perished by bloody persecutions ! and still more by dire¬ 
ful wars! What myriads have been drowned in the seas, 
or consumed by lightning, or swallowed up, by hundreds 
and thousands at a time, by fearful earthquakes ! and oh 
that this, awful as it is, were the worst! but still further 
destruction awaits the impenitent, and without an interest 
in the great salvation of Christ, the snul as well as the 
body must be destroyed—not, indeed, by annihilation, 
which the wicked would earnestly desire, but by “ a sec¬ 
ond death”—an eternal banishment from the presence of 
God. Fear him, then, who can not only “kill the body, 
but who is able to cast both body and soul into hell.” 
Yes, sin is indeed destructive. “ The wages of sin is 
death,” and, as James saith, “ When lust hath con¬ 
ceived, it bringeth forth sin ; and sin, when it is finished, 


BUT SALVATION IS OF GOD. 143 


bringeth forth death.” Hear also what the holy law of 
God denounces against every transgressor: “ Cursed is 
every one that continueth not in all things written in the 
book of the law to do them.” This then is the state of 
the case, and is it not most true that sin is a destructive 
evil ? O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself! and this 
will appear more plainly by showing, 

In the second place, that 

Sinners are self-destroyers. u 0 Israel, thou hast de¬ 
stroyed thyself.” 

What is more shocking than for persons, renouncing 
that natural self-love which rules all mankind, to prepare 
for their own destruction the fatal bowl, the knife, or the 
pistol, or the halter, or to plunge into a watery grave ? 
Here we pity, while we blame; and yet all wilful sinners 
are acting the same desperate part; they are destroying 
themselves, and yet they are not aware of it; and if they 
are at all apprehensive of their errors, they are apt to 
throw the blame on others, yea, even upon the blessed 
God himself. Against this presumption the apostle 
James cautions us, “ Let no man say when he is tempted, 
I am tempted of God—God tempteth no man ; but every 
man is tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lust.” 
Sinners, although they are self-destroyers, always en¬ 
deavour to throw off the blame from themselves upon 
others. Our first parent wished to transfer the blame 
from himself, and therefore said, “ The woman whom 
thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I 
did eat.” She also, as unwilling to bear the blame, said, 
“ The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” Thus also it 
is that sinners blame their passions, and charge their 
vices upon their constitutions, or upon their companions, 
or upon their situations in life, and sometimes upon 
Satan; but unless the tempter had found a proneness in 
us to sin, all his temptations would be fruitless, as they 
were when they were exercised upon the Lord of life and 
glory. Alas ! all the sins we commit flow from our own 


144 SINNERS ARE SELF-DESTROYERS, 


polluted hearts. So our Lord says, in the 15th chapter 
of the Gospel of Matthew, “ Those things which proceed 
out of the mouth, come forth from the heart, and those 
are the things which defile the man.” It will be found, 
therefore, that the blame is all our own; that there is an 
obstinate persistence in sin against the remonstrances of 
conscience, and the admonitions of God. Thus, of old, 
he spake unto the house of Israel, “ As I live,” saith the 
Lord, “ I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, 
but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn 
ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die , O 
house of Israel ?” This expostulation plainly throws the 
guilt upon man, as his own destroyer; why will ye die, 
O house of Israel ?•—it arises from the wilful obstinacy 
and hardness of the human heart. The prophet also 
charges the Jews with a wilful resistance to the gospel, 
u they shut their eyes that they might not see; they 
stopped their ears that they might not hear;” and our 
blessed Lord says expressly to the unbelieving Jews, 
“ Ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life;” 
and in our Lord’s admirable discourse with Nicodemus, 
as recorded in the Bd chapter of John, it is expressly 
said, “ He that believeth on him is not condemned, but 
he that believeth not is condemned already, because he 
hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son 
of God,” and “ this is the condemnation, that light is 
come into the world, and that men have loved darkness 
rather than light, because their deeds are evil; for every 
one that doth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to 
the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” 

True penitents will readily confess this; they will take 
shame to themselves; and say with the royal penitent, 
u Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done 
evil in thy sight.” Yes, real Christians, under their 
deepest afflictions, will adopt this language, “ Shall a 
living man complain,—a man for the punishment of his 
sins ?” And, depend upon it, whatever excuses men 


BUT SALVATION IS OF GOD. 145 


now make, the time will come when a every mouth shall 
be stopped, and all the world be found (and confess 
themselves) guilty before God.” “The books will be 
opened,” and a clear impartial statement made, and the 
righteous judgment of God will be apparent to all; it 
will then appear that the way of sin was chosen, that it 
was preferred, and that wilful unbelief prevailed. Sin¬ 
ners know what frequently passes in their own minds 
concerning this; they put a force upon themselves, and 
stifle all convictions; resolving, whatever the consequences 
may be, that they will proceed. Sinners are self-de¬ 
stroyers—but we go on, 

In the third and last place, to show that 

There is salvation in Jesus Christ, even for self-destroj 7 - 
ing sinners. 

Oh ! what news, what good news, what unexpected news, 
do we find in this third part of our subject? “ 0 Israel, 
thou hast destroyed thyself,”—and what might be ex¬ 
pected to follow ?—You must take the consequences ? it 
is the fruit of your own doings? but, instead of this, God 
has been graciously pleased to say, “ In me is thine help 
found.” Thus, in another place, where we have a long 
and a black catalogue of the sins of Israel—where the 
heavens and the earth are called upon to witness their 
iniquity, yet it is followed up with this encouraging 
language—“ Come now, and let us reason together,” saith 
the Lord, u though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be 
as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they 
shall be as wool.” 

The help—the salvation which sinners stand in need 
of, can only come from God. “ Shame and confusion of 
face belong unto us,”—but it is added, (0 blessed addi¬ 
tion !)—“ To the Lord our God belong mercies and for¬ 
giveness, though we have rebelled against him.” The 
truth is, man neither wants this help, nor could procure 
it, if he did. Man does not want it; he sees little or no 
need of pardon ) he justifies his offences, in part, and is 

13 


146 SINNERS ARE SELF-DESTROYERS, 


inattentive to that gospel which proclaims redemption. 
And as to another great branch of it, the sanctification 
of our nature,—he not only does not desire it, but he 
dreads it ; he has no sort of wish for it, and the name of 
a Saint is, in his opinion, nearly the same as that of an 
hypocrite, or a fanatic. 

But if men really desire it, how could they obtain it ? 
Who could have devised that wonderful plan of redemp¬ 
tion which is laid before us in the gospel ? Who could 
have made atonement for the sins of the world ? Who 
could have cleansed the foul hearts of men, and made 
them new ? Who could have procured a good title to 
endless glory ? As well might a sinner create a new sun, 
or a new moon, or a new world, as to bring about the least 
part of this great salvation. But God says, “ In me is 
thy help found/’ Mercy, unsought as well as unde¬ 
served, first moved his gracious heart: “ He remembered 

us in our low estate, for his mercy endureth for ever.” 
Hence that marvellous, that unparalleled, that unspeak¬ 
able gift,—God’s own dear Son, incarnate in our nature. 
“ Help was laid upon him, who came, not to condemn 
the world, but that the world through him might be 
saved. In the 89th Psalm he says, “ I have laid help 
upon one that is mighty, whom I have chosen from among 
the people.” It pleased God to punish the sin of man 
in the person of his Son. “ He was wounded for our 
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the 
chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his 
stripes we are healed.” “ He died, the just for the un¬ 
just ;” he bore the curse to remove it from us; he was 
u made sin for us, that we might be made the righteous¬ 
ness of God in him,”—through him there is pardon for 
sins of the deepest dye. Yes, if any one sinner had as 
much guilt as usually falls to the lot of a thousand, there 
is pardon even for such an one, if he come to God 
through Jesus Christ. In order to encourage the chief 
of sinners, we find examples held forth, such as that of 


BUT SALVATION IS OF GOD. 147 


the apostle Paul in the 1st Epistle to Timothy, i. 15. 
“ This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation 
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of 
whom I am the chief; howbeit, for this cause I obtained 
mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might show forth 
all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should 
hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” 

Yes; there is sufficient help, for every purpose of our 
salvation, not only for the pardon of the greatest sinners, 
but grace that can conquer the most obdurate hearts, 
even those that are as hard as adamant. God will “ take 
away the heart of stone, and give a heart of flesh.” 
Powerful lusts, though deeply fixed in our very nature, 
may be rooted up by the grace of Christ; even confirmed 
habits of sin may be destroyed. Although the “ Ethio¬ 
pian cannot change his skin, or the leopard his spots,” 
yet those who have long been in the habit of doing evil, 
may learn to do well. God can raise up children to 
Abraham, out of the very stones; and the power which 
effects this is compared to that which effected the 
resurrection of the dead body of Christ from the 
grave. 

The same grace is sufficient to preserve the soul in the 
midst of the strongest temptations. He is able to keep 
his people unhurt in the most dangerous circumstances, 
even as the three confessors remained unsinged in the 
burning fiery furnace; or as Jonah was kept alive for 
three days and three nights in the belly of the fish. 
We daily witness the miracles of divine grace, as mar¬ 
vellous as if a stone were suspended in the air, or a spark 
kept alive in the ocean. We are “ kept by the power 
of God, through faith unto salvation.” 

Thus we see that sin is a most destructive evil—that 
every sinner is a self-destroyer,—and that there is 
help and salvation in Christ even for the self-destroying 
sinner. 

Improvement. —From the whole, let us learn, First, 


148 SINNERS ARE SELF-DESTROYERS. 


to think rightly of sin. Here is the soul-ruining 
mistake of men. They are not told, or will not believe, 
that sin is of a destructive nature. Beware of slight 
thoughts of sin. Sin is no trifle. They are “ fools 
only who make a mock at sin.” “ Be not deceived ; 
God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth that 
shall he also reap.” “ Let no man deceive you with vain 
words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God 
upon the children of disobedience.” Listen not, my friends 
—you especially who are young, listen not to your deluded 
companions, who would persuade you that there is no dan¬ 
ger. Thus Satan deceived our first mother, and ruined the 
world. Beware, lest it ruin you. I entreat you to believe 
God, and disbelieve the enemy; yea, I may say, believe your 
ears; believe your eyes; believe your feelings; surely 
you may believe when you see around you so many hor¬ 
rid effects of sin, and hear, as it were, the groans of the 
damned, all uniting to say—Depend upon it, sin is a 
destructive evil? In the parable of the rich man and 
Lazarus, (Luke xvi. 19, &c.) the former, who, after a 
worldly life of self-indulgence, is represented as lifting 
up his eyes in torments, and in vain requesting the mo¬ 
mentary relief of a drop of water to cool his tongue, re¬ 
quests that a messenger may be sent to his father’s house, 
to testify to his surviving brethren, lest they also come 
into the same place of torment. What was the testimony 
he wished to be made to them ? Was it not this—that 
sin, indulged, destroys the soul ?—that sinners are, as has 
been shown, self-destroyers ? But in vain did he request 
that such a message might be sent. It was needless. The 
same testimony had been made by Moses and the prophets, 
whom he and they refused to hear. The same testimony 
is now made to you. Oh, hear it, receive it, and act ac¬ 
cordingly. 


SIN ODIOUS TO GOD. 


149 


SERMON XIII. 

SIN ODIOUS TO GOD. 

Jeremiah xliv. 4. Oh ! do not this abominable thing that I hate. 

T HIS is part of a message sent from Jehovah, by his 
servant, the prophet Jeremiah, to a party of the 
Jews who retired to Egypt, when their brethren of Judah 
were led captive to Babylon. God here reminds them of 
the reproofs he had given their nation, and of the pun¬ 
ishments he had inflicted for its sins. “ I sent unto you 
(saith he) all my servants, the prophets, rising early and 
sending them ;” and the substance of his messages by 
them was, “ Oh! do not this abominable thing that I 
hate.” 

“ The abominable thing” here referred to was, doubt¬ 
less, their idolatry; they had 11 provoked him to anger, 
by burning incense to other gods,” and by u pouring out 
drink-offerings to the queen of heaven.” (verses 8, 17, 
&c.) This sin was peculiarly hateful to God, for it 
robbed him of his glory as the only proper object of 
worship ; it was a breach of his most positive command¬ 
ments; and it was exceedingly criminal in them , for they 
were favoured above all nations with the knowledge of his 
nature and will; they were his appointed “ witnesses,” to 
testify to the world the unity of God ; and this breach of 
their trust led them into undue connections with the 
heathen world, from which he had separated them, and 
induced them to commit many atrocious crimes insepa¬ 
rable from the worship of idols. And their history shows 
how God resented this their conduct. Neighbouring 
nations were let loose upon them for their punishment; 
and sometimes they were carried captive by their enemies; 
the ten tribes, who were the most idolatrous, were irre¬ 
coverably dispersed ; and Judah herself was now captive 
in Babylon. God, therefore, here exhorts them, by his 
13 * 


150 


SIN ODIOUS TO GOD. 


servant Jeremiah, to abstain from this provoking practice. 
“ Oh ! do not this abominable thing that I hate.” 

But though this charge related originally to the idolatry 
of Judah, it is properly applicable to sin in general, and 
to every sin in particular:—and, oh, that every one of 
us may consider the text as a message from God to him¬ 
self, and particularly with relation to any “ easily besetting 
sin,” of which he is conscious ! And with this view, let 
us notice three things contained in the words: 

I. Sin is an abominable thing. 

II. God hates it. 

III. He requires us to avoid it. “ Oh ! do not this 
abominable thing that I hate.” 

1. With regard to the real nature and evil of sin. We 
must form our opinion of it, not from the world, but from 
God. If we consult the world, in which “ sin abounds,” 
we shall find that u fools make a mock at it;” they treat 
it as a trifle, which need not give them any uneasiness : 
there are some who are properly “ workers of iniquity ;” 
it is their trade, yea, their food, their element, their de¬ 
light ; they “ cannot cease from sin :” and some go further 
still; they plead for it, they promote it in others, and 
“ glory in their shame.” 

But, whatever mistaken men, who are deceived and en¬ 
slaved by the destroyer, may think of sin, we are sure 
that our holy God, who cannot be deceived, and will not 
deceive us, accounts it an abominable thing, and hates it 
with a perfect hatred. And how can it be otherwise ? 
for it is exactly the reverse of all that he is, all that he 
approves, and all that he requires. He gave us our being; 
he gave us all the powers of body and mind which we 
possess. He gave us this earth on which we dwell; and 
he has filled it with his goodness. “ He gives us rain 
from heaven and fruitful seasons, and fills our hearts with 
food and gladness.” And all that he requires, and most 
reasonably requires, by way of return, is that we love him 
supremely, and that we love our neighbour as we wish he 


SIN ODIOUS TO GOD. 


151 


should love us. And is not this most reasonable ? Who 
can object to such a demand ? But does man thus love 
his God, or his neighbour ? Ah ! no. The contrary is 
the fact. The hearts of men are by nature alienated from 
God, and their carnal minds are enmity against him. 
This will appear if you take a glance at the holy law, as 
it is summarily contained in the Ten Commandments. 

The first commandment requires us to know and ac¬ 
knowledge Jehovah to be the only living and true God, 
and to worship and glorify him accordingly. But alas ! 
how have vain men formed, in their corrupt imagination, 
“ lords many and gods many !” they have multiplied dei¬ 
ties, male and female, to the number of many thousands ! 
and thus they have given that glory to idols which is due 
to him alone ! 

The second commandment forbids the worship of God 
by images : but how fruitful have been the corrupt imagi¬ 
nations of men, in a changing the incorruptible glory of 
God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to 
birds, and to four-footed beasts, and creeping things !— 
offences so hateful to God, that he gave up these idolaters 
to the basest lusts of their own hearts. Bom. i. 

How abominable to God is the profane, or even trifling, 
use of his most holy name !—a crime which though over¬ 
looked by men and magistrates, is such that the Majesty 
of heaven, so affronted, will not hold the offender guilt¬ 
less, but will punish him as his iniquity deserves. 

God”, in mercy to mankind, has appointed one day in 
seven to be sacred to religion and to rest. But ungrate¬ 
ful man refuses this heavenly boon; and while he robs 
God of his glory, in refusing obedience and worship, robs 
himself of the inestimable benefits he might enjoy. 

God notices and hates the undutifulness and disobe¬ 
dience of children to their parents, while he gives a gra¬ 
cious promise to those who honour their father and 
mother. 

How provoking to the Father of mercies is the crime 


152 


SIN ODIOUS TO GOD. 


of murder! When the first murder was committed, 
“ thy brother’s blood (said God unto Cain) crieth to me 
from the earth •” it cried for vengeance; and the decision 
of justice is, “ Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall 
his blood be shed.” 

God has marked with peculiar infamy the sins of adul¬ 
tery and fornication ; they are stamped with the name of 
“ uncleanness,” as being in a peculiar manner, contrary 
to that holiness which he requires of his creatures;—and 
let such offenders tremble when they read that “ whore¬ 
mongers and adulterers God will judge.” Heb. xiii. 4. 
Yea, so infamous are these vices in his sight, that they 
must not even be named among saints. Eph. v. 4, 5. 

Dishonesty, in all its forms, is offensive to the God of 
truth and equity. Not only open thieves, as house¬ 
breakers and highwaymen, are obnoxious to him, but all 
injustice between buyers and sellers; frauds committed 
in the price, weight, and measure of goods; all the arts 
of deception practised in trade; the dishonesty and negli¬ 
gence of servants; the contracting of debts without the 
prospect of payment;—in short, every transaction between 
man and man, contrary to that golden rule of action, 
“ Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do 
ye even so to them.” 

Perjury is a sin of dreadful magnitude. Woe be to 
the man that feareth not an oath, or dare appeal to God 
for a lie ! and all slander, malice, and wanton injury of 
the character of others, is an abomination in his view. 

Covetousness he deems idolatry; for the (inordinate) 
love of money is the root of all evil; and as it is a secret 
sin, a sin of the heart, to which God alone may be wit¬ 
ness,—it is an evil which, above all others, detects the 
true nature of sin. Paul says of himself, “ he had not 
known lust (concupiscence, or sinful desire), unless the 
law had said, “ Thou shalt not covet.” Rom. vii. 7. 

Thus have we seen, by a glance at the Ten Command¬ 
ments, that sin is an abominable thing: the law proves 


SIN ODIOUS TO GOD. 


153 


ft to be such, and his holy word calls it by names in¬ 
tended to express his abhorrence of it, and to excite 
ours ;—it is “filthiness,” “ poison,” and an “ abominable 
thing.” 

It is almost needless to prove, as we proposed, in the 
second place, that 

God hates sin. “ Oh ! do not this abominable thing 
that I hate;” for, had he not hated it, he would not have 
prohibited it in his law, upon pain of death. 

It must needs be hateful to him, for it has spoiled his 
work, especially the master-piece of his work upon earth, 
his creature Man, originally formed in his own holy 
image. Ah, how is that image defaced ! how is that 
glorious creature degraded ! Where now is his image ? 
It is lost, it is gone; and the sinner, given up to the base 
lusts of his mind and his body, bears the horrible likeness 
of the devil and the brute combined : his wicked tempers 
resembling the former; his sordid appetites resembling 
the latter. 

God’s holy word is full of expressions of his just re¬ 
sentment :—“ God is angry with the wicked every day.” 
The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all un¬ 
godliness and unrighteousness of men.” “ Thou hatest all 
workers of iniquity.” 

Hence also the dreadful threatenings which we find in 
his word : “ The wages of sin is death :” “ The wicked 
shall be turned into hell:”—“ Say ye to the wicked, It 
shall be ill with him; for he shall eat of the fruit of his 
ways:”—“ He that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh 
reap corruption.” 

And as the threatenings of God, in his word, denote 
his anger, so his proceedings in the world discover it too. 
What induced him to hurl from their high abodes in 
bliss, the myriads of angelic spirits, now enchained in 
darkness ? Doubtless, it was their hateful sin against 
him. And what led him to expel from the garden of 
happiness the man whom he placed there to dress and 


154 


SIN ODIOUS TO GOD. 


to keep it ? We know that it was his sinful disobedience. 
For the same cause, he who made the earth, “ cursed it 
for man’s sakedoomed him to severe toil; and the wo¬ 
man to painful travail. Hatred to sin “ broke up all the 
fountains of the great deep, and opened all the windows 
(or floodgates) of heaven deluged the whole face of the 
earth, and drowned the human race. It was God’s just 
hatred to sin that led him to rain upon Sodom, and 
upon Gomorrah, brimstone and fire from the Lord out of 
heaven : to the same cause we owe all the dire diseases 
that invade the human frame, and render the earth one 
huge hospital: it is this that depopulates the globe thrice 
in a century, and fills the graves with unnumbered in¬ 
habitants ) “ for dust we are, and to dust must we 
return.” Nor is this all; there is a second death,—there 
is a dreadful hell for the reception and punishment of the 
wicked, where “ their worm dieth not, and the fire is not 
quenched.” To this horrible place He who hates sin will 
consign all finally impenitent and unbelieving sinners; say¬ 
ing, “ Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, pre¬ 
pared for the devil and his angels.” And, now, is anything 
more necessary to prove that God hates sin ? One 
greater proof yet remains; it is this, the great, holy, and 
just Jehovah saw fit, in the exercise of his mercy towards 
men, to punish sin in the person of his innocent Son; 

“ for what the law could not do, in that it was weak 
through the flesh,” God hath been pleased to perform in 
a different manner: “ he has sent his own Son, in the 
likeness of sinful flesh, and by a sacrifice for sin, con¬ 
demned sin in the flesh,” even in the human nature of 
Jesus Christ his only begotten Son; and this for his gra¬ 
cious purpose, u That the righteousness of God might be 
fulfilled in (or rather for ) us, who walk not after the flesh, 
but after the Spirit.” Rom. viii. 3, 4. 

We have shown, 1, That sin is an abominable thing : , 
and, 2, That God hates it: We now proceed to the last 
part of the subject, which is, 


SIN ODIOUS TO GOD. 


155 


Thirdly, God calls upon us to avoid sin. “ Oh ! do 
not this abominable thing which I hate.” 

This, you see, was the substance of all his messages to 
Israel by the prophets:—“ rising early, and sending 
them,” alluding to the practice of men, who having busi¬ 
ness of great importance to transact, rise early to set 
about it, that no time may be lost; so God, earnest to 
prevent the destruction of men by their sins, sent his 
servants betimes to give them warning. 

This is the language of the Ten Commandments; most 
of which, it is observable, are in the negative form; as do 
not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness; and they 
are put in this form, because fallen man is disposed by 
nature to do that which is evil; he must, therefore, be 
warned against that evil to which he is prone. “ Oh ! do 
not this abominable thing that I hate.” Let us re¬ 
member and treasure up in our minds the word of God 
for this very purpose: thus David did. “ Thy word 
(says he) have I hid in my heart, that I may not sin 
against thee :” and again, “ How shall a young man 
cleanse his way?”—the answer is, “By taking heed 
thereunto, according to thy word :” and this proved suc¬ 
cessful ; for he says again, “ By the words of thy lips I 
have kept me from the paths of the Destroyer.” 

Observe also the heavenly discourse of our Saviour 
upon the mount ? What divine morality is inculcated 
in that inimitable sermon ! What a spiritual exposition 
does the King of Zion give of his holy law, to deter men 
from sin, and cause them to resemble their Father who 
is in heaven ! In like manner the holy apostles, in 
their discourses and in the epistles, discourage every vice, 
and insist upon the sanctity of character which becomes 
Christians; saying, “ Let every one who nameth the 
name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 

The histories contained in the word of God have the 
same holy tendency. Do we read the histories of good 
men ? “ Let us be followers of them who, through faith 


156 


SIN ODIOUS TO GOD. 


and patience, inherit the promises.” Do we peruse the 
histories of bad men, and of their sore punishment ?— 
“ these things are written for our warning,”—“ these 
things happened unto them for examples ; and they are 
written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the 
world are come.” 1 Cor. x. 6—11. 

The threatenings which we find in the word of God 
have the same benevolent intention. “ Son of man (said 
God to the prophet Ezekiel), I have made thee a watch¬ 
man unto the house of Israel, therefore hear the word at 
my mouth, and give them warning from me ) when I say 
to the wicked, Thou shalt surely die, and thou givest him 
not warning, to save his life, the same wicked man shall 
die in his iniquity;—but his blood will I require at thy 
hand.” Ezek. iii. 17. The language of all the threat¬ 
enings is ,— u Do not this abominable thing.” “ Turn 
ye, turn ye, for why will ye die, 0 house of Israel ?” 

And do not all the various blessings we receive from 
the hand of God come to us with the same message.? 
Does he not do us good, giving us rain from heaven, and 
fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and glad¬ 
ness ? Does not he visit the earth, and water it? clothe 
the pastures with flocks ? cover the valleys with corn, 
and crown the year with his goodness ? And doth not this 
goodness cry with a gentle yet powerful voice,—“ Oh ! 
do not this abominable thing that I hate ?” And surely, 
if we will not hear that admonition, we shall hear him 
justly complain, “ Hear, 0 heavens, and give ear, O 
earth • I have nourished and brought up children, and 
they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his 
owner, and the ass his master’s crib j but Israel doth not 
know ; my people doth not consider!” 

And further, what is the language of affliction ? 
What mean the numerous trials and troubles of life ? Are 
they not all the fruits of sin ? Do they not painfully con¬ 
vince us that sin is an evil and a bitter thing ? And are 
they not intended for our profit, to introduce “ the peace- 


SIN ODIOUS TO GOD. 


157 


able fruits of righteousness, and to make us partakers of 
his holiness ?” Yes, every pain of body, and every pang 
of mind, says,—“ Do not this abominable thing that I 
hate!” 

In a word, such is the uniform language of the whole 
gospel of Christ. Is not this the doctrine of the Cross ? 
Why did the innocent Son of God suffer, and bleed, and 
die ? He did not sin, " neither was guile found in his 
mouth; yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and put 
him to grief; but he was wounded for our transgressions, 
he was bruised for our iniquities ; the Lord laid upon him 
the iniquity of us all.” In this way the all-wise God was 
pleased to exhibit to the whole world the just abhorrence 
of sin, by punishing it in the person of his Son, while he 
displays the riches of his grace in freely pardoning all 
who believe in him. Thus also he would furnish his 
people with the strongest possible motives to holiness, 
that they might hate the sin which murdered their Lord; 
and be constrained, by the force of love to him, to crucify 
the flesh with its affections and lusts, and to live unto 
him in holiness and righteousness of life all their days. 

Conclusion. —And is sin such an abominable thing ? 
—then “ how abominable and filthy is man, that drinketh 
in iniquity like water ?” (Job xv. 16.)—who longs for 
it as the parched traveller for the refreshing stream, and 
to whom it is as delightful as cold water to a thirsty soul; 
for there are those (are we of that number ?) who com¬ 
mit iniquity with greediness; who take pleasure in un¬ 
righteousness ; and who cannot cease from sin. Ah! how 
unlike are such men to God ! and if only “ the pure in 
heart shall see God,” where shall these lovers and work¬ 
ers of iniquity appear? Marvel not, then, if to such we 
address the solemn words of Christ,—“ Ye must be born 
again.” “ Verily, I say unto you, except a man be born 
agaiu, he cannot see the kingdom of God,” (John iii. 3, 
Ac.) 

This also shows how great and dangerous a mistake it 
14 


158 SIN ODIOUS TO GOD. 

is, to think lightly of sin, or to esteem it a trifle; or to 
do as the scripture says “fools do,”—“make a mock 
at sin.” Ah ! it is no trifle, unless the anger of an of¬ 
fended and Almighty God be a trifle, and unless everlast¬ 
ing punishment be a trifle. Oh, let us learn to think and 
speak of sin as He does who cannot be deceived, and will 
not be mocked. 

It will follow, then, that if sin be so abominable in the 
sight of God, and if he so hate it, we also should 
hate it. So did Job, when his singular afflictions and in¬ 
structions had accomplished their designed purpose; then 
did he exclaim—“ I abhor myself, and repent in dust and 
ashes;” and thus will it ever be found that penitent and 
pardoned sinners will “ remember their own evil ways, 
and their doings that were not good, and lothe themselves 
in their own sight, for their iniquities, and for their 
abominations.” Ezek. xxxvi. 31. 

And this should lead us greatly to admire the love of 
God to such unlovely creatures as sinners are. His love 
must, indeed, be free, perfectly free, for there could be 
nothing in us to excite it; there was enough to occasion 
his anger, and cause him to forsake us for ever; but 
while he held us in this low and lothesome state, “ he 
passed by and beheld us, and said unto us, Live !” “ for 
the time was a time of love !” (Ezek. xvi. 7.) Amazing 
love it was that said, “ Come now, and let us reason to¬ 
gether, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, 
they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like 
crimson, they shall be as wool.” 

Let all the world fall down, and know 

That none but God such love could show. 

Here, too, let us admire the efficacy of the blood of 
Christ. Let us, with Peter, call it “ precious blood,” for 
precious indeed that blood must be which can perfectly 
cleanse from such horrid pollution, and make the believ¬ 
ing sinner, washed in that fountain, “ whiter than snow.” 


SIN ODIOUS TO GOD. 


159 


Nor less admirable is the efficacious grace of the Holy 
Spirit, through whose renewing power we become new 
creatures; no longer “ the slaves of sin,” but rendered 
“the servants of righteousness;” being “made free from 
sin, we are become servants to God, having our fruit unto 
holiness, and (expecting the blessed) end—“everlasting 
life.” 

How strong, then, are the obligations under which we 
are laid to “ abhor that which is evil, and cleave unto 
that which is good !” to “ hate every false way, and the 
garment spotted with the flesh;” to avoid even the ap¬ 
pearance of evil, and to abound in every good work, con¬ 
tinually walking as under the eye of God, and as hearing 
him say to us,—“ Oh ! do not this abominable thing that 
I hate.” 













A SELECTION 


PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


14 * 


( 161 ) 



. 

V ; * 

' 






A SELECTION 


OF PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


Providence. C. M. 

OD moves in a mysterious way, 
\JT His wonders to perform ; 

He plants his footsteps in the sea, 
And rides upon the storm. 


2 Deep in unfathomable mines 
Of never failing skill, 

He treasures up his bright designs, 
And works his sovereign will. 


3 Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; 
The clouds ye so much dread 
Are big with mercy, and shall break 
In blessings on your head. 


4 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, 

But trust him for his grace; 
Behind a frowning providence, 

He hides a smiling face. 

5 His purposes will ripen fast, 

Unfolding every hour: 

The bud may have a bitter taste, 
But sweet will be the flower. 


(163) 




164 A SELECTION OF 

6 Blind unbelief is sure to err, 

And scan his work in vain ; 

God is his own interpreter, 

And he will make it plain. 


2 Come and Welcome. 8s, 7s, & 4s. 

C OME, ye sinners, poor and wretched, 
Weak and wounded, sick and sore; 
Jesus ready stands to save you, 

Full of pity, love and power : 

He is able, 

He is willing : doubt no more. 

2 Ho ! ye needy, come and welcome, 

God’s free bounty glorify; 

True belief and true repentance, 

Every grace that brings us nigh, 
Without money, 

Come to Jesus Christ and buy. 

3 Let not conscience make you linger, 

Nor of fitness fondly dream; 

All the fitness he requireth, 

Is to feel your need of him ; 

This he gives you; 

’Tis the Spirit’s rising beam. 

4 Come, ye weary, heavy laden, 

Lost and ruined by the fall: 

If you tarry till you’re better, 

You will never come at all. 

Not the righteous, 

Sinners Jesus came to call. 

5 Agonizing in the garden, 

Lo ! your Maker prostrate lies; 



PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


165 


On the bloody tree behold him; 
Hear him cry, before he dies, 

“ It is finished !” 

Sinner, will not this suffice ? 

6 Lo ! the incarnate God ascended, 

Pleads the merits of his blood; 
Venture on him, venture wholly, 
Let no other trust intrude ; 

None but Jesus 
Can do helpless sinners good. 

7 Saints and angels, joined in concert, 

Sing the praises of the Lamb ; 
While the blissful seats of heaven 
Sweetly echo with his name ; 
Hallelujah! 

Sinners here may sing the same. 


3 The Holy Trinity. 6s & 4s. 

C OME, thou Almighty King, 

Help us thy name to sing, 

Help us to praise. 

Father all glorious, 

O’er all victorious, 

Come, and reign over us, 
Ancient of days. 

2 Jesus our Lord, arise, 

Scatter our enemies, 

And make them fall. 

Let thine Almighty aid 
Our sure defence be made ; 
Our souls on thee be staid; 
Lord, hear our call. 



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A SELECTION OF 


3 Come, thou incarnate Word, 

Gird on thy mighty sword, 

Our prayer attend. 

Come, and thy people bless, 
And give thy word success; 
Spirit of holiness, 

On us descend. 

4 Come, Holy Comforter, 

Thy sacred witness bear, 

In this glad hour. 

Thou, who almighty art, 
Now rule in every heart, 
And ne’er from us depart, 
Spirit of power. 

5 To the great One in Three, 

The highest praises be, 

Hence evermore. 

His sovereign majesty, 

May we in glory see, 

And to eternity, 

Love and adore. 


4 The Lord will provide. 10s & 11s. 

T HOUGH troubles assail, and dangers affright; 

Though friends should all fail, and foes all unite 
Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide; 

The scripture assures us, the Lord will provide. 

2 The birds, without barn or store-house, are fed; 
From them let us learn to trust for our bread : 

His saints what is fitting shall ne’er be denied ; 

So long as ’tis written, the Lord will provide. 



PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


167 


3 We may, like the ships, by tempests he tossed 
On perilous deeps, but cannot be lost; 

Though Satan enrages the wind and the tide, 

The promise engages, the Lord will provide. 

4 His call we obey, like Abram of old, 

Not knowing our way, but faith makes us bold; 

For though we are strangers, we have a good guide, 
And trust in all dangers, the Lord will provide. 

5 When Satan appears to stop up our path, 

And fills us with fears, we triumph by faith : 

He cannot take from us, though oft he has tried, 
This heart-cheering promise, the Lord will provide. 

6 He tells us we’re weak, our hope is in vain : 

The good, that we seek, we ne’er shall obtain; 

But when such suggestions our spirits have plied, 
This answers all questions, the Lord will provide. 

7 No strength of our own, or goodness we claim, 

Yet since we have known the Saviour’s great name, 
In this our strong tower for safety we hide: 

The Lord is our power, the Lord will provide. 

8 When life sinks apace, and death is in view, 

This word of his grace shall comfort us through: 
No fearing or doubting, with Christ on our side, 

We hope to die shouting, the Lord will provide. 


Sovereign Grace. S. M. 

G RACE ! 'tis a charming sound, 
Harmonious to mine ear : 
Heaven with the echo shall resound, 
And all the earth shall hear. 



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A SELECTION OF 


2 Grace first contrived the way 

To save rebellious man; 

And all the steps that grace display, 
Which drew the wondrous plan. 

3 Grace first inscribed my name 

In God’s eternal book ; 

’Twas grace that gave me to the Lamb, 
Who all my sorrows took. 

4 Grace led my roving feet 

To tread the heavenly road; 

And new supplies each hour I meet, 
While pressing on to God. 

5 Grace taught my soul to pray, 

And made my eyes o’erflow : 

’Twas grace that kept me to this day, 
And will not let me go. 

6 Grace all the work shall crown, 

Through everlasting days; 

It lays in heaven the topmost stone, 
And well deserves the praise. 


0 The Rock of Ages. 7s. 

K OCK of ages, cleft for me, 

Let me hide myself in thee : 
Let the water and the blood, 

From thy wounded side which flowed, 
Be of sin the double cure; 

Cleanse me from its guilt and power. 

2 Not the labour of my hands 
Can fulfil the law’s demands; 

Could my zeal no respite know, 

Could my tears for ever flow, 



PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


169 


All for sin could not atone, 

Thou must save, and thou alone. 

3 Nothing in my hand I bring, 

Simply to thy cross I cling; 

Naked, come to thee for dress, 
Helpless, look to thee for grace, 

Vile, I to the fountain fly,— 

Wash me, Saviour, or I die. 

4 While I draw this fleeting breath, 
When my heart-strings break in death, 
When I soar to worlds unknown, — 
See thee on thy judgment-throne,— 
Rock of ages, cleft for me, 

Let me hide myself in thee. 


7 The Death of Christ. S. M. 

L IKE sheep we went astray, 

And broke the fold of God; 
Each wandering in a different way, 
Rut all the downward road. 

2 How dreadful was the hour, 

When God our wanderings laid, 
And did at once his vengeance pour 
Upon the Shepherd’s head ! 

3 How glorious was the grace 

When Christ sustained the stroke ! 
His life and blood the Shepherd pays, 
A ransom for the flock. 

4 His honour and his breath 
Were taken both away; 

Joined with the wicked in his death, 
And made as vile as they. 


15 



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5 But God shall raise his head 

O’er all the sons of men, 

And make him see a numerous seed, 
To recompense his pain. 

6 “ I’ll give him,” saith the Lord, 

“ A portion with the strong; 

He shall possess a large reward, 

And hold his honours long.” 


8 Doubts and Fears . 

TpiS a point I long to know, 

X Oft it causes anxious thought; 
Do I love the Lord, or no ? 

Am I his, or am I not ? 

2 If I love, why am I thus ? 

Why this dull and lifeless frame ? 
Hardly, sure, can they be worse, 
Who have never heard his name. 

3 Could my heart so hard remain, 

Prayer a task and burden prove, 
Every trifle give me pain, 

If I knew a Saviour’s love ? 

4 When I turn my eyes within, 

All is dark, and vain, and wild; 
Filled with unbelief and sin, 

Can I deem myself a child ? 

5 If I pray, or hear, or read, 

Sin is mixed with all I do; 

You who love the Lord indeed, 

Tell me—is it thus with you ? 

6 Yet I mourn my stubborn will, 

Find my sin a grief and thrall; 



PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


171 


Should I grieve for what I feel, 

If I did not love at all ? 

7 Could I joy his saints to meet, 

Choose the ways I once abhorred, 
Find at times the promise sweet, 

If I did not love the Lord ? 

8 Lord, decide the doubtful case; 

Thou who art thy people’s Sun, 
Shine upon thy work of grace, 

If it be indeed begun. 

9 Let me love thee more and more, 

If I love at all, I pray; 

If I have not loved before, 

Help me to begin to-day. 


9 Not ashamed of Christ. C. M. 

I ’M not ashamed to own my Lord, 

Nor to defend his cause, 

Maintain the honour of his word, 

The glory of his cross. 

2 Jesus, my God, I know his name, 

His name is all my trust; 

Nor will he put my soul to shame, 

Nor let my hope be lost. 

3 Firm as his throne his promise stands, 
And he can well secure 
What I’ve committed to his hands, 

Till the decisive hour. 

4 Then will he own my worthless name, 
Before his Father’s face, 

And in the new Jerusalem, 

Appoint my soul a place. 



172 A SELECTION OF 

10 Not ashamed of Christ. L. M. 

J ESUS, and shall it ever be, 

A mortal man ashamed of thee ? 
Ashamed of thee, whom angels praise, 
Whose glories shine through endless days 

2 Ashamed of Jesus ! sooner far 
Let evening blush to own a star; 

He sheds the beams of light divine 
O’er this benighted soul of mine. 

3 Ashamed of Jesus! just as soon 
Let midnight be ashamed of noon; 

’Tis midnight with my soul, till he, 
Bright morning Star, bid darkness flee. 

4 Ashamed of Jesus! that dear Friend 
On whom my hopes of heaven depend ! 
No, when I blush, be this my shame, 

That I no more revere his name. 

5 Ashamed of Jesus ! Yes, I may, 

When Fve no guilt to wash away, 

No tear to wipe, no good to crave, 

No fears to quell, no soul to save. 

6 Till then—nor is my boasting vain— 

Till then, I boast a Saviour slain : 

And oh ! may this my glory be, 

That Christ is not ashamed of me. 


Refuge in Christ. 7s. 

J ESUS, lover of my soul, 

Let me to thy bosom fly, 
While the raging billows roll, 
While the tempest still is high. 



PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


173 


Hide me, 0 my Saviour, hide, 

Till the storm of life is past; 

Safe into the haven guide; 

Oh ! receive my soul at last. 

2 Other refuge have I none, 

Hangs my helpless soul on thee; 
Leave, ah ! leave me not alone, 

Still support and comfort me; 

All my trust on thee is staid, 

All my help from thee I bring; 
Cover my defenceless head 
With the shadow of thy wing. 

3 Thou, 0 Christ, art all I want; 

All in all in thee I find; 

Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, 
Heal the sick, and lead the blind. 
Just and holy is thy name, 

I am all unrighteousness : 

Vile and full of sin I am, 

Thou art full of truth and grace. 

4 Plenteous grace with thee is found, 

Grace to pardon all my sin; 

Let the healing streams abound, 
Make and keep me pure within. 
Thou of life the fountain art, 

Freely let me take of thee: 
Spring thou up within my heart, 
Rise to all eternity. 


12 


Joy in Christ. 8s & 7s. 

C OME, thou Fount of every blessing, 
Tune my heart to sing thy grace; 
Streams of mercy never ceasing 
Call for songs of loudest praise. 


15 * 



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A SELECTION OF 


Teach me some melodious sonnet, 

Sung by flaming tongues above; 
Praise the mount—Oh ! fix me on it, 
Mount of God’s unchanging love. 

2 Here I raise my Ebenezer, 

Hither by thy help I’m come; 

And I hope, by thy good pleasure, 
Safely to arrive at home. 

Jesus sought me when a stranger, 
Wandering from the fold of God; 

He, to rescue me from danger, 
Interposed with precious blood. 

3 Oh ! to grace how great a debtor 

Daily I’m constrained to be ! 

Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter, 

Bind my wandering heart to thee. 
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; 

Prone to leave the God I love; 

Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it, 
Seal it from thy courts above. 


13 


2 The King himself comes near, 

And feasts his saints to-day; 
Here we may sit, and see him here, 
And love and praise and pray. 

3 One day amidst the place 

Where my dear God hath been, 
Is sweeter than ten thousand days 
Of pleasurable sin. 


The Lord's Day, S. M. 

W ELCOME, sweet day of rest, 
That saw the Lord arise ; 
Welcome to this reviving breast, 
And these rejoicing eyes. 



PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


175 


4 My willing soul would stay 
In such a frame as this, 
And sit and sing herself away 
To everlasting bliss. 


U Christ our Shepherd. S. M. 

T HE Lord my Shepherd is, 

I shall be well supplied; 

Since he is mine, and I am his, 

What can I want beside ? 

2 He leads me to the place 

Where heavenly pasture grows; 

Where living waters gently pass, 

And full salvation flows. 

3 If e’er I go astray, 

He doth my soul reclaim, 

And guides me in his own right way, 

For his most holy name. 

4 While he affords his aid, 

I cannot yield to fear; 

Tho’ I should walk thro’ death’s dark shade, 
My Shepherd’s with me there. 

5 Amid surrounding foes 

Thou dost my table spread, 

My cup with blessings overflows, 

And joy exalts my head. 

6 The bounties of thy love 

Shall crown my following days; 

Nor from thy house will I remove, 

Nor cease to speak thy praise. 



176 


A SELECTION OF 


15 


The Penitent's Psalm. L. M. 


S HOW pity, Lord ; 0 Lord, forgive, 

Let a repenting rebel live; 

Are not thy mercies large and free ? 

May not a sinner trust in thee ? 

2 My crimes are great, but don’t surpass 
The power and glory of thy grace ; 

Great God, thy nature hath no bound, 

So let thy pardoning love be found. 

3 Oh! wash my soul from every sin, 

And make my guilty conscience clean; 
Here on my heart the burden lies, 

And past offences pain my eyes. 

4 My lips with shame my sins confess, 
Against thy law, against thy grace; 

Lord, should thy judgments grow severe, 

I am condemned, but thou art clear. 

5 Should sudden vengeance seize my breath, 
I must pronounce thee just in death; 

And if my soul were sent to hell, 

Thy righteous law approves it well. 

6 Yet save a trembling sinner, Lord, 

Whose hope, still hovering round thy word, 
Would light on some sweet promise there, 
Some sure support against despair. 


The Lord’s Day. L. M. 


16 


S WEET is the work, my God, my King, 

To praise thy name, give thanks, and sing, 
To show thy love by morning light, 

And talk of all thy truth at night. 

2 Sweet is the day of sacred rest; 

No mortal care shall seize my breast; 



PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


177 


Oh ! may my heart in tune be found. 

Like David’s harp of solemn sound; 

3 My heart shall triumph in my Lord, 

And bless his works, and bless his word; 
Thy works of grace, how bright they shine ! 
How deep thy counsels ! how divine 1 

4 Fools never raise their thoughts so high ; 
Like brutes they live, like brutes they die; 
Like grass they flourish, till thy breath 
Blast them in everlasting death. 

5 But I shall share a glorious part, 

When grace hath well refined my heart, 
And fresh supplies of joy are shed, 

Like holy oil to cheer my head. 

6 Sin, my worst enemy before, 

Shall vex my eyes and ears no more; 

My inward foes shall all be slain, 

Nor Satan break my peace again. 

7 Then shall I see, and hear, and know 
All I desired or wished below; 

And every power find sweet employ 
In that eternal world of joy. 


Psalm before Hearing the Word. S. M. 
OME, sound his praise abroad, 



And hymns of glory sing; 


Jehovah is the sovereign Grod, 

The universal King. 

2 He formed the deeps unknown ; 
He gave the seas their bound; 
The watery worlds are all his own, 
And all the solid ground. 



178 


A SELECTION OF 


18 


3 Come, worship at his throne, 

Come, bow before the Lord; 

We are his works, and not our own : 

He formed us by his word. 

To-day attend his voice, 

Nor dare provoke his rod; 

Come, like the people of his choice, 

And own your gracious God. 

But if your ears refuse 
The language of his grace, 

And hearts grow hard, like stubborn Jews, 
That unbelieving race : 

The Lord, in vengeance drest, 

Will lift his hand and swear, 

“ You that despise my promised rest, 

Shall have no portion there.” 


Praise. S. M. 

0 BLESS the Lord, my soul, 

Let all within me join, 

And aid my tongue to bless his name, 
Whose favours are divine. 

0 bless the Lord, my soul, 

Nor let his mercies lie 
Forgotten in unthankfulness, 

And without praises die. 

'Tis he forgives thy sins, 

’Tis he relieves thy pain, 

; Tis he that heals thy sicknesses, 

And makes thee young again. 



PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


179 


4 He crowns thy life with love, 

When ransomed from the grave; 

He that redeemed my soul from hell 
Hath sovereign power to save. 

5 He fills the poor with good; 

He gives the sufferers rest; 

The Lord hath judgments for the proud, 
And justice for th’ oppressed. 

6 His wondrous works and ways 

He made by Moses known ; 

But sent the world his truth and grace 
By his beloved Son. 


19 God never forsakes. 11s. 

H OW firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, 

Is laid for your faith in his excellent word ! 
What more can he say than to you he hath said, 

You who unto Jesus for refuge have fled? 

2 In every condition—in sickness, in health, 

In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth, 

At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea, 

“ As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be. 

3 u Fear not, I am with thee, 0 ! be not dismayed, 

I, I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; 

I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand* 
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand. 

4 u When through the deep waters I call thee to go, 
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow; 

For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless; 

And sanctify to thee, thy deepest distress. 



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5 11 When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, 

My grace all-suflicient shall be thy supply ; 

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design 
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine. 

6 11 E’en down to old age, all my people shall prove 
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love; 

And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn, 

Like lambs they shall still in my bosom be borne. 

7 “The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, 

I will not, I will not, desert to his foes; 

That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake, 
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake ! 


20 Repentance at the Cross. C. M. 

A LAS ! and did my Saviour bleed, 
And did my Sovereign die ? 
Would he devote that sacred head 
For such a worm as I ? 

2 Thy body slain, dear Jesus, thine, 
And bathed in its own blood; 

* While all exposed to wrath divine, 
The glorious sufferer stood ! 

3 Was it for crimes that I had done, 
He groaned upon the tree ? 
Amazing pity ! grace unknown ! 

And love beyond degree ! 

4 Well might the sun in darkness hide, 
And shut his glories in, 

When God, the mighty Maker, died, 
For man, the creature’s sin. 



PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


181 


5 Thus might I hide my blushing face, 

While his dear cross appears, 
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, 
And melt my eyes to tears. 

6 But drops of grief can ne’er repay 

The debt of love I owe : 

Here, Lord, I give myself away ; 

'Tis all that I can do. 


21 Evening. S. M. 


HE day is past and gone, 



X The evening shades appear; 

Oh ! may we all remember well, 

The night of death draws near. 

2 We lay our garments by, 

Upon our beds to rest; 

So death will soon disrobe us all 
Of what is here possessed. 

3 Lord, keep us safe this night, 

Secure from all our fears; 

May angels guard us, while we sleep, 
Till morning light appears. 

4 And when we early rise, 

And view the unwearied sun, 

May we set out to win the prize, 

And after glory run. 

5 And when our days are past, 

And we from time remove, 

Oh ! may we in thy bosom rest, 

The bosom of thy love. 


16 



182 


A SELECTION OF 


22 


Missionary Hymn. 7s & 6s. 


F ROM Greenland’s icy mountains, 
From India’s coral strand ; 
Where Afric’s sunny fountains 
Roll down their golden sand; 

From many an ancient river, 

From many a palmy plain, 

They call us to deliver 

Their land from error’s chain. 

2 What, though the spicy breezes 
Blow soft o’er Ceylon’s isle, 
Though every prospect pleases, 

And only man is vile ; 

In vain with lavish kindness, 

The gifts of God are strown; 

The heathen, in his blindness, 

Bows down to wood and stone. 

3 Shall we, whose souls are lighted 
With wisdom from on high,— 
Shall we, to men benighted, 

The lamp of life deny ? 

Salvation ! 0 salvation ! 

The joyful sound proclaim, 

Till earth’s remotest nation 
Has learned Messiah’s name. 

4 Waft, waft, ye winds, his story, 

And you, ye waters, roll, 

Till, like a sea of glory, 

It spreads from pole to pole; 

Till o’er our ransomed nature, 

The Lamb for sinners slain, 
Redeemer, King, Creator, 

In bliss returns to reign. 


On Watch. L. M. 


M Y God, permit me not to be 

A stranger to myself and thee; 
Amidst a thousand thoughts I rove, 
Forgetful of my highest love. 

2 Why should my passions mix with earth, 
And thus debase my heavenly birth ? 
Why should I cleave to things below, 
And let my God, my Saviour, go ? 

3 Call me away from flesh and sense; 

One sovereign word can draw me thence; 
I would obey the voice divine, 

And all inferior joys resign. 

4 Be earth, with all her scenes, withdrawn; 
Let noise and vanity be gone; 

In secret silence of the mind, 

My heaven, and there my God, I find. 


Consolation in Sickness. C. M. 

W HEN languor and disease invade 
This trembling house of clay, 
'Tis sweet to look beyond my pains, 
And long to fly away. 

2 Sweet to look inward, and attend 
The whispers of his love; 

Sweet to look upward, to the place 
Where Jesus pleads above. 

3 Sweet to look back, and see my name 
In life’s fair book set down ; 

Sweet to look forward, and behold 
Eternal joys my own. 



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A SELECTION OF 


4 Sweet to reflect how grace divine 

My sins on Jesus laid; 

Sweet to remember that his blood 
My debt of suffering paid. 

5 Sweet in his righteousness to stand, 

Which saves from second death; 

Sweet to experience, day by day, 

His Spirit’s quickening breath. 

6 Sweet on his faithfulness to rest, 

Whose love can never end; 

Sweet on his covenant of grace, 

For all things to depend. 

7 Sweet in the confidence of faith, 

To trust his firm decrees; 

Sweet to lie passive in his hands, 

And know no will but his. 

8 If such the sweetness of the streams, 

What must the fountain be, 

Where saints and angels draw their bliss 
Immediately from thee I 


25 Triumph over Death. C. M. 

O H ! for an overcoming faith 
To cheer my dying hours,' 

To triumph o’er the monster, Death, 
And all his frightful powers ! 

2 Joyful, with all the strength I have, 
My quivering lips should sing : 

“ Where is thy boasted victory, grave, 
And where the monster’s sting V } 

3 If sin be pardoned, I’m secure; 

Death has no sting beside; 



26 


PSALMS AND HYMNS. 185 

The law gives sin its damning power; 

But Christ, my ransom, died. 

4 Now to the Cod of victory 
Immortal thanks be paid, 

Who makes us conquerors while we die, 

Through Christ our living head. 


Heaven. C. M. 

J ERUSALEM, my happy home, 

Name ever dear to me ! 

When shall my labours have an end, 

In joy, and peace, and thee ? 

2 When shall these eyes thy heaven-built walls 
And pearly gates behold? 

Thy bulwarks, with salvation strong, 

And streets of shining gold ? 

3 Oh ! when, thou city of my Cod, 

Shall I thy courts ascend, 

Where congregations ne’er break up, 

And Sabbaths have no end ? 

4 There happier bowers than Eden’s bloom, 
Nor sin nor sorrow know : 

Blest seats, through rude and stormy scenes, 
I onward press to you. 

5 Why should I shrink at pain and woe, 

Or feel at death, dismay ? 

I’ve Canaan’s goodly land in view, 

And realms of endless day. 

6 Apostles, martyrs, prophets there 
Around my Saviour stand; 

And soon my friends in Christ below, 

Will join the glorious band. 

16 * 



186 


A SELECTION OF 


7 Jerusalem, my happy home, 

My soul still pants for thee; 
Then shall my labours have an end, 
When I thy joys shall see. 


27 . Resurrection. L. M. 

L ORI), I am thine; but thou wilt prove 
My faith, my patience, and my love : 
When men of spite against me join, 

They are the sword, the hand is thine. 

2 Their hope and portion lie below; 

’Tis all the happiness they know; 

'Tis all they seek, they take their shares, 
And leave the rest among their heirs. 

3 What sinners value, I resign; 

Lord, ’tis enough that thou art mine: 

I shall behold thy blissful face, 

And stand complete in righteousness. 

4 This life’s a dream, an empty show; 

But the bright world to which I go 
Hath joys substantial and sincere ; 

When shall I wake and find me there ? 

5 0 glorious hour! 0 blest abode ! 

I shall be near, and like my God; 

And flesh and sin no more control 
The sacred pleasures of the soul. 

6 My flesh shall slumber in the ground, 

Till the last trumpet’s joyful sound; 

Then burst the chains with sweet surprise, 
And in my Saviour’s image rise. 



PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


187 


28 


Judgment. L. C. M. 

L O ! on a narrow neck of land, 

’Twixt two unbounded seas I stand, 
Yet how insensible ! 

A point of time, a moment’s space, 
Removes me to yon heavenly place, 

Or shuts me up in hell. 

/ 

O God, my inmost soul convert, 

And deeply on my thoughtless heart, 
Eternal things impress; 

Give me to feel their solemn weight, 

And save me ere it be too late; 

Wake me to righteousness. 

Before me place in bright array, 

The pomp of that tremendous day, 

When thou with clouds shalt come 
To judge the nations at thy bar: 

And tell me, Lord, shall I be there, 

To meet a joyful doom ? 

Be this my one great business here, 

With holy trembling, holy fear, 

To make my calling sure; 

Thine utmost counsel to fulfil, 

And suffer all thy righteous will, 

And to the end endure. 

Then, Saviour, then my soul receive, 
Transported from this vale, to live 
And reign with thee above; 

Where faith is sweetly lost in sight, 

And hope, in full, supreme delight, 

And everlasting love. 


188 


A SELECTION OF 


29 


Assurance of Heaven. C. M. 


W HEN I can read my title clear, 
To mansions in the skies, 

I bid farewell to every fear, 

And wipe my weeping eyes. 


2 Should earth against my soul engage, 
And hellish darts be hurled; 

Then I can smile at Satan’s rage 
And face a frowning world. 


3 Let cares like a wild deluge come, 

And storms of sorrow fall; 

May I but safely reach my home, 
My God, my heaven, my all. 

4 There shall I bathe my weary soul 

In seas of heavenly rest, 

And not a wave of trouble roll 
Across my peaceful breast. 


30 After a Storm. L. M. 

W OULD you behold the works of God, 
His wonders in the world abroad ? 
With the bold mariners survey 
The unknown regions of the sea. 

2 They leave their native shores behind, 

And seize the favour of the wind ; 

Till God command, and tempests rise, 

That heave the ocean to the skies. 

3 Now to the heavens they mount amain, 
Now sink to dreadful deeps again; 

What strange affrights young sailors feel, 
And like a staggering drunkard reel! 



PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


189 


4 When land is far and death is nigh, 
Lost to all hope, to God they cry; 

His mercy hears their loud address, 

And sends salvation in distress. 

5 He bids the winds their wrath assuage, 
And stormy tempests cease to rage; 

The gladsome crew their fears give o’er, 
And hail with joy their native shore. 

6 Oh ! may the sons of men record 
The wondrous goodness of the Lord ! 
Let them their private offerings bring, 
And in the church his glory sing. 


51 Seaman's Prayer in Banger. 12s. 

W HEN through the torn sail the wild tempest is 
streaming, 

When o’er the dark wave the red lightning is gleam¬ 
ing, 

Nor hope lends a ray, the poor seaman to cherish, 

We fly to our Maker; “ Save, Lord, or we perish.” 

2 O Jesus, once rocked on the breast of the billow, 
Aroused by the shriek of despair from thy pillow, 
Now seated in glory, the mariner cherish, 

Who cries in his anguish, “ Save, Lord, or we perish.” 

3 And oh ! when the whirlwind of passion is raging, 
When sin in our hearts his wild warfare is waging, 
Then send down thy grace, thy redeemed to cherish, 
Rebuke the destroyer; “ Save, Lord, or we perish.” 



190 

32 


A SELECTION OF 


The Traveller's Hymn. C. M. 

OW are thy servants blest, O Lord, 
How sure is their defence ! 

Eternal wisdom is their guide, 

Their help, Omnipotence. 

2 In foreign realms and lands remote, 

Supported by thy care, 

Through burning climes they pass unhurt, 
And breathe in tainted air. 

3 When by the dreadful tempest borne 

High on the broken wave, 

They know thou art not slow to hear, 

Nor impotent to save. 

4 The storm is laid, the winds retire, 

Obedient to thy will; 

The sea, that roars at thy command, 

At thy command is still. 

5 In midst of dangers, fears, and death*, 

Thy goodness we’ll adore; 

We’ll praise thee for thy mercies past, 
And humbly hope for more. 

6 Our life, while thou preserv’st that life, 

Thy sacrifice shall be: 

And death, when death shall be our lot, 
Shall join our souls to thee. 


33 


The Voyage. H. M. 

J ESUS, at thy command 
I launch into the deep, 

And leave my native land, 

Where sin lulls all asleep: 

For thee I would the world resign, 

And sail to heaven with thee and thine. 




PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


191 


2 Thou art my pilot wise; 

My compass is thy word: 

My soul each storm defies, 

While I have such a Lord! 

I trust thy faithfulness and power 
To save me in the trying hour. 

3 Though rocks and quicksands deep 

Through all my passage lie; 

Yet Christ will safely keep 
And guide me with his eye : 

My anchor, Hope, shall firm abide, 

And I each boisterous storm outride. 

4 By faith I see the land— 

The port of endless rest: 

My soul, thy sails expand, 

And fly to Jesus’ breast! 

Oh ! may I reach the heavenly shore, 
Where winds and waves distress no more. 

5 Whene’er becalmed I lie, 

And storms forbear to toss; 

Be thou, dear Lord, still nigh, 

Lest I should suffer loss : 

For more the treacherous calm I dread, 
Than tempest bursting o’er my head. 

6 Come, Holy Ghost, and blow 

A prosperous gale of grace ) 

Waft me from all below 

To heaven—my destined place ! 

Then, in full sail, my port I’ll find, 

And leave the world and sin behind. 


192 


A SELECTION OF 


34 


The desired Port. L. M. 

T HE Christian navigates a sea 

Where various forms of death appear; 
Nor skill, alas 1 nor power has he, 

Aright his dangerous course to steer. 

2 Sometimes there lies a treacherous rock 
Beneath the surface of the wave ; 

He strikes, but yet survives the shock, 

For Jesus is at hand to save. 

3 But hark ! the midnight tempest roars! 

He seems forsaken and alone; 

But Jesus whom he then implores, 

Unseen preserves and leads him on. 

4 On the smooth surface of the deep, 

Without a fear he sometimes lies : 

The danger then is lest he sleep, 

And ruin seize him by surprise. 

5 His destined land he sometimes sees, 

And thinks his toils will soon be o'er; 
Expects some favourable breeze 

Will waft him quickly to the shore. 

6 But sudden clouds obstruct his view, 

And he enjoys the sight no more; 

Nor does he now believe it true, 

That he had even seen the shore. 

7 Though fear his heart should overwhelm, 
He’ll reach the port for which he’s bound 
For Jesus holds and guides the helm, 

And safety is where he is found. 


PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


193 


35 


Christ in the storm. C. M. 


E TERNAL God, thy works of might 
Our awe and wonder raise; 

Thy deeds of glory far surpass 
Our loftiest notes of praise. 

2 Thine awful thunder fills the air, 
Resounding through the sky, 

While vivid lightnings, 'mid the gloom, 
Proclaim Jehovah nigh. 

3 He comes; all nature prostrate lies, 

And trembles at his nod; 

Earthquakes and dreadful storms announce 
The presence of our God. 

4 The howling winds, the beating rain, 

The sea’s tumultuous roar, 

These, in tremendous concert joined, 

Exalt thy boundless power. 

5 Great God, we trust the matchless strength 
Of thine almighty arm, 

Which, ’mid the wreck of thousand worlds, 
Could shelter us from harm. 


All's well. 8s & Ts. 


36 


T OSSED upon life’s raging billow, 
Sweet it is, 0 Lord, to know 
Thou didst press a sailor’s pillow, 

And canst feel a sailor’s woe. 

Never slumbering, never sleeping, 
Though the night be dark and drear, 
Thou the faithful watch art keeping, 

“ All, all’s well,” thy constant cheer. 


17 



194 


A SELECTION OF 


2 And though loud the wind is howling, 

Fierce though flash the lightnings red, 
Darkly though the storm cloud’s scowling 
O’er the sailor’s anxious head, 

Thou canst calm the raging ocean, 

All its noise and tumult still, 

Hush the tempest’s wild commotion, 

At the bidding of thy will. 

3 Thus my heart the hope will cherish, 

While to thee I lift mine eye, 

I shall ne’er he left to perish; 

Thou wilt hear the sailor’s cry; 

And though mast and sail be riven, 

Life’s short cruise will soon be o’er; 

On the peaceful shore of heaven, 

Wind and waves shall vex no more. 


37 Prayer for Seamen. L. M. 



RANT the abundance of the sea. 


u May be converted, Lord, to thee, 
And every sailor on the shore 
Return to God, to roam no more. 

2 The nations, then, with joy shall hail 
The Bethel flag in v every sail; 

And every ship that ploughs the sea 
A gospel messenger shall be. 

3 Hasten, 0 Lord, that glorious day 
When seamen shall thy word obey, 
And safe from port to port be driven 
To point a ruined world to heaven. 



PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


195 


38 7%e cleansing Fountain. C. M. 

T HERE is a fountain filled with blood, 
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins ; 

And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, 
Lose all their guilty stains. 

2 The dying thief rejoiced to see 
That fountain in his day; 

And there have I, as vile as he, 

Washed all my sins away. 

3 Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood 
Shall never lose its power, 

Till all the ransomed church of God 
Be saved, to sin no more. 

4 E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream 
Thy flowing wounds supply, 

Redeeming love has been my theme, 

And shall be, till I die. 

5 Then in a nobler, sweeter song, 

I’ll sing thy power to save, 

When this poor lisping, stammering tongue 
Lies silent in the grave. 


39 The Sinner’s Friend. 8s & 7s. 

O NE there is above all others, 

Well deserves the name of Friend; 
His is love beyond a brother’s, 

Costly, free, and knows no end. 

They who once his kindness prove 
Find it everlasting love. 



196 


A SELECTION OF 


2 Which of all our friends, to save us, 

Could or would have shed his blood ? 
But this Saviour died to have us 
Reconciled in him to God. 

This was boundless love indeed; 

Jesus is a Friend in need. 

3 When he lived on earth abased, 

Friend of sinners was his name; 
Now above all glory raised, 

He rejoices in the same. 

Still he calls them brethren, friends, 
And to all their wants attends. 

4 Oh for grace our hearts to soften ! 

Teach us, Lord, at length to love; 
We, alas ! forgot too often 
What a friend we have above; 

But when home our souls are brought, 
We will love thee as we ought. 


40 True Christian. L. M. 

W HO shall ascend thy heavenly place, 

Great God, and dwell before thy face ? 
The man who minds religion now, 

And humbly walks with God below; 

2 Whose hands are pure, whose heart is clean ; 
Whose lips still speak the thing they mean; 

No slanders dwell upon his tongue; 

He hates to do his neighbour wrong. 

3 He loves his enemies, and prays 
For those who curse him to his face; 

And does to all men still the same 
That he would hope or wish from them. 



PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


197 


4 Yet when his holiest works are done, 
His soul depends on grace alone : 
This is the man thy face shall see, 
And dwell for ever, Lord, with thee. 


41 The Mariner’s Psalm. C. M. 

T HY works of glory, mighty Lord, 
Who rul'st the boisterous sea, 
The sons of courage shall record, 

Who tempt the dangerous way. 

2 At thy command the winds arise, 

And swell the towering waves! 

The men, astonished, mount the skies, 
And sink in gaping graves. 

3 Again they climb the watery hills, 

And plunge in deeps again; 

Each like a tottering drunkard reels, 
And finds his courage vain. 

4 Frighted to hear the tempest roar, 
They pant with fluttering breath; 
And, hopeless of the distant shore, 
Expect immediate death. 

5 Then to the Lord they raise their cries, 
He hears the loud request, 

And orders silence through the skies, 
And lays the floods to rest. 

6 Sailors rejoice to lose their fears, 

And see the storm allayed: 

Now to their eyes the port appears; 
There let their vows be paid. 



198 


DOIOLOGIES. 


42 


'Tis God that brings them safe to land; 

Let stupid mortals know, 

That waves are under his command, 
And all the winds that blow. 

Oh that the sons of men would praise 
The goodness of the Lord! 

And those that see thy wondrous ways, 
Thy wondrous love record. 


Prospect of Death. 8s & Ts. 

G ENTLY, Lord, 0 gently lead us, 
Through this lonely vale of tears ; 
Through the changes thou'st decreed us, 
Till our last great change appears. 
When temptation's darts assail us, 

When in devious paths we stray, 

Let thy goodness never fail us, 

Lead us in thy perfect way. 


In the hour of pain and anguish, 

In the hour when death draws near, 
Suffer not our hearts to languish, 
Suffer not our souls to fear. 

And when mortal life is ended, 

Bid us in thine arms to rest, 

Till by angel bands attended, 

We awake among the blest. 


DOXOLOGIES. 
C. M. 


L ET God the Father, and the Son, 

And Spirit be adored, 

Where there are works to make him known, 
Or saints to love the Lord. 




DOXOLOGIES. 


199 


C. M. 


T O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 
The God whom we adore, 

Be glory as it was, is now, 

And shall be evermore. 


L. M. 

P RAISE God from whom all blessings flow; 

Praise him, all creatures here below; 
Praise him above, ye heavenly host; 

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 

L. M. 


T O God the Father, God the Son, 

And God the Spirit, Three in One, 
Be honour, praise, and glory given, 

By all on earth, and all in heaven. 

S. M. 

Y E angels round the throne, 

And saints that dwell below, 
Worship the Father, love the Son, 

And bless the Spirit too. 

S. M. 

G IVE to the Father praise, 

Give glory to the Son, 

And to the Spirit of his grace 
Be equal honour done. 

H. M. 


T O God the Father’s throne, 
Perpetual honours raise : 

Glory to God the Son; 

To God the Spirit praise: 

With all our powers, eternal King, 
Thy name we sing, while faith adores. 


- 

. 


■ 

. 

. 

. 

... , 





INDEX OF FIRST LINES OF PSALMS AND HYMNS. 


Alas ! and did my Saviour bleed, 

Page. 

. 180 

Come, ye sinners poor and wretched, 

Come, thou Almighty King, 

Come, thou Fount of every blessing, 

Come, sound his praise abroad, 

164 
. 165 
173 
. 177 

Eternal God, thy works of might, 

193 

From Greenland’s icy mountains, 

. 182 

Gently, Lord, 0 gently lead us, . 

God moves in a mysterious way, 

Grace, ’tis a charming sound, 

Grant the abundance of the sea, 

. 198 
163 
. 167 
194 

How are thy servants blest, 0 Lord, 

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, 

. 190 
179 

I’m not ashamed to own my Lord, 

. 171 

Jerusalem, my happy home, 

Jesus, and shall it ever be, 

Jesus, lover of my soul, .... 

Jesus, at thy command, .... 

. 185 
172 
. 172 
190 

Like sheep we went astray, 

Lord, I am thine, but thou wilt prove, 

. 169 
186 


( 201 ) 




202 


INDEX OF FIRST LINES* 


My God, permit me not to be, 
Oh ! bless the Lord, my soul, . 
Oh ! for an overcoming faith, 
One there is above all others, . 


Page. 

183 
178 

184 
195 


Rock of ages, cleft for me, 


168 


Show pity, Lord ; O Lord, forgive, . 
Sweet is the work, my God and King, 
So on a narrow neck of land, 


176 

176 

187 


Though troubles assail, and dangers affright, 
'Tis a point I long to know, 

The Lord my Shepherd is, . 

The day is past and gone, 

The Christian navigates a sea, 

Thy works of glory, mighty Lord, 

Tossed upon life’s raging billows, 

There is a Fountain filled with blood, 


166 

170 

175 

181 

192 
197 

193 
195 


Welcome, sweet day of rest, 

When languor and disease invade, 

When 1 can read my title clear, 

When through the torn sail the wild tempest, 
Would you behold the works of God, 

Who shall ascend thy heavenly place, 


174 

183 

188 

189 

188 

196 



PART SECOND 


FOR MORE PRIVATE USE. 


CONTAINING 

L WHAT IS RELIGION? II. BRIEF EXPOSITIONS. III. PRAYERS 
FOR VARIOUS OCCASIONS. IV. FRIENDLY 
ADVICES TO SEAMEN. 




; 





. 




















' 


PART II. 


WHAT IS RELIGION? 



IHEEE are many false religions in the world, 


J- which produce no happy change in our char¬ 
acter ; which exert no influence in promoting our 
happiness ; and have no effect in preparing the 
soul for death and eternity. 

The only true religion is that which is revealed 
by God in the Holy Bible. In all ages of the 
world, where this religion is truly and heartily em¬ 
braced, it has shown its power in reforming the life, 
bringing the soul safely through all the afflictions 
of this world, and supporting it in the hour of 
death, with the cheering hope of a happy hereafter. 
The religion of the Bible regards all men by nature as fallen 


sinful creatures. 


S by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and 



death by sin ; and so death passed upon all men, 


for that all have sinned. Bom. v. 12. [See also the whole 
of this chapter.] 

Behold I was shapen in iniquity: and in sin did my 
mother conceive me. Psalm li. 5. 

The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go 


18 


( 205 ) 




206 WHAT IS RELIGION? 

astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Psalm 
lviii. 3. 

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, 
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false-witness, blasphemies. 
These are the things which defile a man. Matt. xv. 19, 20. 

How much more abominable and filthy is man which 
drinketh iniquity like water ! Job xv. 16. 

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in 
the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of 
his heart was only evil continually. Gen. vi. 5. 

The Bible represents sin of all kinds as exposing the sinner to 
God’s wrath. 

B UT unto them that are contentious, and do not obey 
the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation 
and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man 
that doth evil. Rom. ii. 8, 9. 

God is angry with the wicked every day. Psalm vii. 11. 
The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all 
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Rom. i. 18. 

The Lord shall send upon thee cursing, vexation and 
rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, 
until thou be destroyed and until thou perish quickly; 
because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou 
hast forsaken me. Deut. xxviii. 20. 

Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brim¬ 
stone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion 
of their cup. Psalm xi. 6. 

The wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the 
transgressors shall be rooted out of it. Prov. ii. 22. 

The face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 1 
Pet. iii. 12. 

That they all might be damned who believed not the 
truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thess. ii. 12. 

The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with 
his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on 
them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of 


WHAT IS RELIGION? 


207 


our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with ever¬ 
lasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and 
from the glory of his power. 2 Thess. i. 7—9. 

Then shall he (Christ) say unto them on the left hand, 
Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, pre¬ 
pared for the devil and his angels. Matt. xxv. 41. 

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, 
and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and 
idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake 
which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the 
second death. 


The Bible represents sinners as unable to save themselves, and 
that all help must come from God. 


0 ISRAEL, thou hast destroyed thyself: but in me is 
thy help. Hosea xiii. 9. 

Oh remember not against us former iniquities : let thy 
tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought 
very low. Help us, 0 God of our salvation, for the glory 
of thy name, and deliver us and purge away our sins, for 
thy name’s sake. Psalm lxxix. 8, 9. 

Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of 
man. Psalm lx. 11. 

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence 
cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which 
made heaven and earth. Psalm cxxi. 1, 2. 

God be merciful to me a sinner. Luke xviii. 13. 

Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace, that wo 
may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 
Heb. iv. 16. 


The Bible sets forth Jesus Christ as the only Saviour of sinners. 

T HE Son of man is come to save that which was lost. 
Matt, xviii. 11. 

God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the 
world ; but that the world through him might be saved. 
John iii. 17. 


208 WHAT IS KELIGION? 

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is 
none other name under heaven given among men whereby 
we must be saved. Acts iv. 12. 

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the 
life : no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 
xiv. 6. 

Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a 
Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and 
forgiveness of sin. Acts v. 31. 

But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus 
Christ we shall be saved. Acts xv. 11. 

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost 
that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make 
intercession for them. Heb. vii. 25. 

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain 
salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us. 
1 Thess. v. 9. 

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the 
tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto right¬ 
eousness : by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter ii. 24. 

The Bible represents the necessity of faith or belief in Christ, in 
order that we may be saved by him. 

T HIS is his commandment that we should believe on 
the name of his Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John iii. 23. 
If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, 
and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him 
from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart 
man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth 
confession is made unto salvation. Rom. x. 9, 10. 

By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of 
yourselves, it is the gift of God. Eph. ii. 8. 

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word 
and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, 
and shall not come into condemnation ) but is passed 
from death unto life. John v. 24. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only be- 


WHAT IS RELIGION? 


209 


gotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not 
perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his 
Son into the world to condemn the world : but that the 
world through him might be saved. He that believeth 
on him is not condemned ; but he that believeth not, is 
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the 
name of the only begotten Son of God. John iii. 16—18. 


The Bible represents true repentance as necessary to salvation. 

T HAT they should repent and turn to God and do works 
meet for repentance. Acts xxvi. 20. 

Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blot¬ 
ted out. Acts iii. 19. 

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso 
confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Prov. 
xxviii. 13. 

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to for¬ 
give us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteous¬ 
ness. 1 John i. 9. 

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; 
and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Psalm 
xxxiv. 18. 

The Bible teaches that where there is true repentance God will 
extend forgiveness. 

L ET the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous 
man his thoughts ; and let him return unto the Lord, 
and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for 
he will abundantly pardon. Isa. lv. 7. 

I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their 
sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Ileb. 
viii. 12. 

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: 
Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as 
snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as 
wool. Isa. i. 18. 

Lord, thou art good, and ready to forgive; and plen- 
18 * 


210 WHAT IS RELIGION? 


fccous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Psalm 
lxxxvi. 5. 


The Bible teaches a religion that will lead to holy obedience. 


F EAR God and keep his commandments, for this is the 
whole duty of man. Eccles. xii. 13. 

Observe to do according to all the law; turn not from 
it to the right hand, or to the left ) that thou mayest pros¬ 
per whithersoever thou goest. Josh. i. 7. 

Jesus said, If ye love me, keep my commandments— 
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he 
it is that loveth me. John xiv. 15, 21. 

Whosoever shall break one of these least command¬ 
ments, and shall teach men so, shall be called the least 
in the kingdom of heaven. Matt. v v. 19. • 

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they 
may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in 
through the gates into the city. Rev. xxii. 14. 


The Bible teaches us to love and fear God. 


L OVE the Lord your God, and serve him with all your 
heart, and with all your soul. Deut. xi. 13. 

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, 
and»with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Deut. 
vi. 5. 

And we know that all things work together for good 
to them that love God. Rom. viii. 28. 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. 
Psalm cxi. 10. 

I will give them one heart and one way, that they may 
fear me for ever. Jer. xxxii. 39. 

Fear the Lord and depart from evil. Prov. iii. 7. 
Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of right¬ 
eousness arise with healing in his wings. Mai. iv. 2. 

The Bible leads the soul to hate sin and avoid temptation. 

W HEREFORE I abhor myself and repent in dust 
and ashes. Job xlii. 6. 


WHAT IS RELIGION? 


211 


And they shall loathe themselves for the evils which 
they have committed, in all their abominations, Ezek. 
vi. 9. 

If I have done iniquity, I will do no more. Job 
xxxiv. 32. 

Wash you, make you clean ; put away the evil of your 
doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil, learn to 
do well. Isa. i. 16. 

Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye 
separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, 
and I will receive you. 2 Cor. vi. 17. 

Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thess. v. 22. 

My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 
Prov. i. 10. 

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of 
the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor 
sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Psalm i. 1. 

The Bible teaches us to love the Word of God. 

S EARCH the scriptures : for in them ye think ye 
have eternal life : and they are they which testify 
of me. John v. 39. 

Oh, how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the 
day. Psalm cxix. 97. 

How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter 
than honey to my mouth. Psalm cxix. 103. 

Thy testimonies are wonderful, therefore doth my soul 
keep them. Psalm cxix. 129. 

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is 
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for in¬ 
struction in righteousness ; that the man of God may be 
perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 
Tim. iii. 16, 17. 

The Bible enjoins it on men to pray. 

T WILL therefore, that men pray everywhere, lifting up 
holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 1 Tim. ii. 8. 


212 


WHAT IS RELIGION? 


Evening, and morning, and at noon will I pray and 
cry aloud ) and he shall hear my voice. Psalm lv. 17. 
Continuing instant in prayer. Rom. xii. 12. 

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanks¬ 
giving. Col. iv. 2. 

But thou when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and 
when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which 
is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall 
reward thee openly. Matt. vi. 6. 

If we ask anything according to his will, he heareth 
us. 1 John v. 14. 

The Bible teaches us to be thankful to God. 

I T is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to 
sing praises unto thy name, 0 most high: to show 
forth thy loving-kindness in the morning, and thy faith¬ 
fulness every night. Psalm xcii. 1, 2. 

In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanks¬ 
giving, let your requests be made known unto God. 
Phil. iv. 6. 

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the 
Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Eph. 
v. 20. 

Bless the Lord, 0 my soul; and all that is within me, 
bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and 
forget not all his benefits; who forgiveth all thine in¬ 
iquities ) who healeth all thy diseases ; who redeemeth 
thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with 
loving-kindness, and tender mercies. Psalm ciii. 1—4. 

The Bible teaches us to submit to God. 

S UBMIT yourselves therefore to God. James iv. 7. 
Thy will be done. Matt. vi. 10. 

The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; bles¬ 
sed be the name of the Lord. Job i. 21. 

What! shall we receive good at the hand of God, and 
shall we not receive evil ? Job ii. 10. 


WHAT IS RELIGION? 


213 


The Bible teaches us to forgive our enemies, and to return good 
for evil. 

A ND when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught 
against any; that your Father also which is in 
heaven may forgive you your trespasses; but if ye do not 
forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven for¬ 
give your trespasses. Mark xi. 25, 26. 

Recompense to no man evil for evil.—Dearly beloved, 
avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath ; 
for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the 
Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if 
he thirst, give him drink ; for in so doing thou shalt heap 
coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but 
overcome evil with good, Rom. xii. 17, 19, 20, 21. 

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that 
curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you 
and persecute you. Matt. v. 44. 

The Bible teaches us not to set our affections on this present 
world. 

I OVE not the world, neither the things that are in the 
j world. If any man love the world, the love of 
the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, 
the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the 
pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. 1 
John ii. 15. 

Set your affections on things above, not on things on 
the earth. Col. iii. 2. 

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and 
be content with such things as ye have. Heb. xiii. 5. 

And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall 
drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these 
things do the nations of the world seek after; and your 
Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But 
rather seek ye the kingdom of Grod, and all these things 
shall be added unto you. Luke xii. 29—31. 


214 WHAT IS RELIGION? 


The Bible teaches us to be examples to others in all good dis¬ 
positions and conduct. 


L ET all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, 
and evil-speaking, be put away from you, with all 
malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, 
forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake 
hath forgiven you. Eph. iv. 31, 32. 

Be thou an example of the believers in word, in con¬ 
versation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 1 Tim. 
iv. 12. 

Let us walk honestly, as in the day, not in rioting and 
drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in 
strife and envying. Bom. xiii. 13. 

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably 
with all men. Rom. xii. 18. 

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which 
is evil: cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affec- 
tioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour 
preferring one another. Not slothful in business; fer¬ 
vent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; pa¬ 
tient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; dis¬ 
tributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. 
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them 
that weep. Rom. xii. 9—15. 

As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to 
them likewise. Luke vi. 31. 

See that none render evil for evil, unto any man; but 
ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves 
and to all men. 1 Thess. v. 15. 

But to do good and to communicate forget not; for 
with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Heb. xiii. 16. 

Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or 
as an evil doer, or as a busy-body in other men’s matters. 
1 Peter iv. 15. 

Do all things without murmurings and disputings; 
that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, 
without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse 


WHAT IS RELIGION? 


215 


nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world. 
Phil. ii. 14, 15. 

What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, 
and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God ! 
Micah vi. 8. 

Learn to do well : seek judgment, relieve the op¬ 
pressed ; judge the fatherless; plead for the widow. Is. 


i. 17. 


Let your light so shine before men, that they may see 
your good works and glorify your father which is in 
heaven. Matt. v. 16. 

The religion of the Bible supports in affliction and disarms 


death. 


HOOSING rather to suffer affliction with the people 



Kj of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a 
season. Heb. xi. 25. 

Many are the afflictions of the righteous ; but the Lord 
delivereth him out of them all. Psalm xxxiv. 19. 

For our light affliction which is but for a moment, 
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight 
of glory. 2 Cor. iv. 17. 

Mark the perfect man and behold the upright: for the 
end of that man is peace. Psalm xxxvii. 37. 

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his 
saints. Psalm cxvi. 15. 

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Phil. 


i. 21. 


And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, 
Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from 
henceforth; Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from 
their labours, and their works do follow them. Bev. xiv. 


13. 


O death, where is thy sting ? O grave, where is thy 
victory ? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of 
sin is the law; but thanks be to God which giveth us the 
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. xv. 56, 57. 


216 WHAT IS RELIGION? 


The religion of the Bible secures our resurrection from the 
*i grave and our happiness in heaven. 

OR, we know that if our earthly house of this taber- 



JL 1 nacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a 
house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 
Cor. v. 1. 

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even 
so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with 
him. 1 Thess. iv. 14. 

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this 
mortal must put on immortality. So when .this corrupti¬ 
ble shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall 
have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass 
the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in vic¬ 
tory. 1 Cor. xv. 54. 

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it. Rev. 


xx. 13. 


Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not 
yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he 
shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as 
he is. 1 John iii. 2. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath be¬ 
gotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of 
Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance, incorrupt¬ 
ible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in 
heaven for you. 1 Peter i. 3, 4. 

In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were 
not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place 
for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will 
come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am 
there ye may be also. John xiv. 2, 3. 

Thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presence 
is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures 
for evermore. Psalm xvi. 11. 

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and 


EXPOSITION OF COMMANDMENTS. 217 

there shall be no more death; neither sorrow nor crying, 
neither shall there be any more pain; for the former 
things are passed away. Rev. xxi. 4. 


BRIEE EXPOSITION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 

I. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 

This commandment requires us to know and ac¬ 
knowledge. God to be the only true God, and our 
God, and to worship and glorify him accordingly; 

And it forbids the denying and not worshipping 
and glorifying the true God as God and our God; 
and the giving that worship and glory to any 
other which is due to him alone. 

II. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, 
or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or 
that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under 
the earth; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor 
serve them; for I the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, 
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, 
unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate 
me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that 
love me and keep my commandments. 

This commandment requires the receiving, ob¬ 
serving and keeping pure and entire, all such re¬ 
ligious worship and ordinances as God has ap¬ 
pointed in his word ; 

And it forbids the worshipping of God by im¬ 
ages, or any other way not appointed in his word. 

III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy 
19 



213 A BRIEF EXPOSITION OF 

God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless 
that taketh his name in vain. 

This commandment requires the holy and reve¬ 
rent use of God’s names, titles, attributes, ordi¬ 
nances, word, and works; 

And it forbids all profaning or abusing of any¬ 
thing whereby God maketh himself known. And 
however the breakers of this commandment may 
escape punishment from men, yet the^ Lord our 
God will not suffer them to escape his righteous 
judgment. 

IY. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six 
days shalt thou labour and do all thy work ; but the 
seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it 
thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy 
daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy 
cattle, nor thy stranger, that is within thy gates; for in 
six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and 
all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; where¬ 
fore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. 

This commandment requires the keeping holy 
to God such set times as he hath appointed in his 
word; expressly one whole day in seven to be a holy 
Sabbath to himself; 

And it forbids the omission or careless perform¬ 
ance of the duties required, and the profaning the 
day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself 
sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or 
works, about our worldly employments or recrea¬ 
tions. Thus the Sabbath is to be sanctified by a 


THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 219 


holy resting all that day, even from such worldly 
employments and recreations as are lawful on 
other days ; and spending the whole time in the 
public and private exercises of God’s worship, ex¬ 
cept so much as is to be taken up in the works of 
necessity and mercy. 

Y. Honour thy father and thy mother that thy days 
may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God 
giveth thee. 

This commandment requires the preserving the 
honour, and performing the duties belonging to 
every one in their several places and relations, as 
superiors, inferiors, or equals ; 

And it forbids the neglecting of, or doing any 
thing against, the honour and duty which belongeth 
to every one in their several places and relations. 

VI. Thou shalt not kill. 

This commandment requires all lawful endeav¬ 
ours to preserve our own life and the life of others ; 

And it forbids the taking away of our own life, 
or the life of our neighbour unjustly, or whatso¬ 
ever tendeth thereunto. 

VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 

This commandment requires the preservation 
of our own and our neighbour’s chastity, in heart, 
speech, and behaviour ; 

And it forbids all unchaste thoughts, words and 
actions. 


220 EXPOSITION OF COMMANDMENTS. 

VIII. Thou shalt not steal. 

This commandment requires the lawful procur¬ 
ing and furthering the wealth and outward estate 
of ourselves and others; 

And it forbids whatsoever doth or may unjustly 
hinder our own, or our neighbour’s wealth or out¬ 
ward estate. 

IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy 
neighbour. 

This commandment requires the maintaining 
and promoting of truth between man and man, 
and of our own and our neighbour’s good name, 
especially in witness-bearing; 

And it forbids whatsoever is prejudicial to 
truth, or injurious to our own, or our neighbour’s 
good name. 

X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou 
shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his man-servant, 
nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any 
thing that is thy neighbour’s. 

This commandment requires full contentment 
with our own condition, with a right and chari¬ 
table frame of spirit towards our neighbour, and 
all that is his ; 

And it forbids all discontentment with our own 
estate, envying or grieving at the good of our 
neighbour, and all inordinate motions or affections 
to any thing that is his. 


EXPOSITION OF LORD’S PRAYER. 221 


A BRIEF EXPOSITION OF THE LORD’S PRAYER. 

1. Our Father which art in heaven. 

This teaches us to draw near to God with all 
holy reverence and confidence, as children to a 
father, able and ready to help us: and that we 
should pray with and for others. 

2. Hallowed be thy name. 

In this we pray, that God would enable us 
and others to glorify him in all that whereby he 
makes himself known, and that he would dispose 
all things to his own glory. 

3. Thy kingdom come. 

In this we pray that Satan’s kingdom may be 
destroyed, and that the kingdom of grace may be 
advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, 
and kept in it, and that the kingdom of glory may 
be hastened. 

4. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 

In this we pray, that God, by his grace, would 
make us able and willing to know, obey, and sub¬ 
mit to his will in all things, as the angels do in 
heaven. 

5. Give us this day our daily bread. 

In this we pray, that of God’s free gift we may 
receive a competent portion of the good things of 
this life, and enjoy his blessing with them. 

19 * 


222 


PRAYERS FOR 


6. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 

In this we pray, that God, for Christ’s sake, 

would freely pardon all our sins; which we are 
the rather encouraged to ask, because by his grace 
we are enabled from the heart to forgive others. 

7. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us 
from evil. 

In this we pray, that God would either keep 
us from being tempted to sin, or support and de¬ 
liver us when we are tempted. 

8. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the 
glory for ever, Amen. 

In this we are taught to take our encouragement 
in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to 
praise him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory 
to him; and in testimony of our desire and assur¬ 
ance to be heard, we say, Amen. 


PRAYERS FOR VARIOUS OCCASIONS, 


WHICH MAY BE USED IN PUBLIC, SOCIAL, AND PRIVATE WORSHIP. 


A Prayer for Penitence. 



AYE mercy upon us, 0 God, according to thy 


J-J- loving-kindness ; according unto the multi¬ 
tude of thy tender mercies, blot out our transgres¬ 
sions. Wash us thoroughly from our iniquity 
and cleanse us from our sin. For we acknowledge 



VARIOUS OCCASIONS. 


2£3 


our transgressions and our sins are ever before us. 
Behold we were shapen in iniquity and conceived 
in sin. Hide thou thy face from our sins and blot 
out all our iniquities. Create in us clean hearts, 
and renew a right spirit within us. Cast us 
not away from thy presence and take not thy 
Holy Spirit from us. Then will we teach trans¬ 
gressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted 
unto thee. The sacrifices of God are a broken 
spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, 0 God, thou 
wilt not despise. Accept these, our humble con¬ 
fessions, for Christ’s sake, Amen. 

A Prayer for Pardoning Mercy. 

M OST holy God, as sinners we need forgiveness. 

From our early youth we have sinned against 
thee in thought, word, and deed. May we have 
the blessedness of those whose transgression is 
forgiven, whose sin is covered, unto whom the 
Lord imputeth not iniquity. Apply to us the 
cleansing blood of the cross, and through it may 
we have redemption, even the forgiveness of sins, 
according to the riches of thy grace. So may we 
be justified and sanctified, that sin shall no longer 
be suffered to dwell in our hearts, or bring us into 
condemnation ; and this we ask for His sake, who 
came into the world to put away sin by the sacri¬ 
fice of himself; and to him shall be all the praise, 
Amen. 


224 


PRAYERS FOR 


A Prayer for Light and Knowledge. 

0 THOU who art light and in whom there is no 
darkness at all, shine into our hearts, and give 
us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God 
in the face of Jesus Christ. Reveal to us the ex¬ 
cellency of thy character and government, espe¬ 
cially as thou hast made thyself known in the re¬ 
demption of the world by Jesus Christ. May thy 
word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, 
that we may at all times know what thou wouldst 
have us to do. May all the blessed doctrines and 
precepts of thy word be clearly understood, and 
heartily believed and practised by us, that we may 
no longer err and stray from thy ways. May we 
know also our own true character and condition, 
that we may not think more highly of'ourselves 
than we ought to think, or flatter ourselves with 
hopes which are not well founded and sure. Pity 
and pardon our former neglect to improve our 
privileges, as learners at the feet of Jesus; and 
now may we be so taught of God, that we may 
daily increase in wisdom and in understanding; 
which we ask for Christ’s sake, Amen. 

A Prayer for Decision in Religion. 

A RIGHTEOUS God, who would have men every- 
^ where to repent and turn to thee, may we no 
longer halt between two opinions; but resolve, 
that, whatever others may do, we will serve the 


VARIOUS OCCASIONS. 


225 


Lord. We know that we cannot serve two mas¬ 
ters, and must choose between thee and the world. 
Enable us, we beseech thee, with a true and sin¬ 
cere heart, to take thee as our portion, and from 
henceforth renounce the world, the flesh, and the 
devil. Let the time past suffice us to have done 
the will of the flesh, and from this good hour may * 
we give our hearts to thee, that we may love, serve, 
and honour thee, as our only Lord and Master. 
Thou, Lord, hast bought us with a price; we are 
no longer our own ; and as thou hast said, Son 
give me thy heart, forbid that we should any 
longer love the world, or the things which are in 
the world. May we henceforth be the disciples 
of the meek and lowly Jesus ; be firm in our pur¬ 
pose to renounce the companionship of the wicked, 
however they may deride us; and be earnest in 
seeking thy love and favour, and the salvation of 
our immortal souls. Which we ask for Christ’s 
sake, Amen. 

A Prayer for Protection against Temptation. 

0 GOD, thou, who knowest all things, art ac¬ 
quainted with our weaknesses and infirmities, 
and the danger we are in of being carried away 
by the enticements of sinners. We have evil 
hearts of unbelief, which cause us to depart from 
God ; and are subject to easily besetting sins, which 
cannot be overcome in our own strength. Pity 


226 


PRAYERS FOR 


the weakness of our resolutions, for even when 
we would do good, evil is present with us, and 
prevails against us. When surrounded by wicked 
companions, and exposed to their profane and 
filthy conversation, may we not be led astray by 
their example, but flee to thee for help. And, O 
most gracious God, when the temptations of a 
foreign port assail us, and we see our shipmates 
led astray by the gamblers, the intemperate, and 
the licentious, may we stand aloof, and refuse their 
enticements, taught as we are by thy holy word 
that the path of sin, however pleasing to the sense, 
leadeth down to the chambers of death. Under 
thy merciful protection we place ourselves, that we 
may be kept in all our ways, and preserved unto 
thy heavenly glory, for Christ’s sake, Amen. 

A Prayer against Infidelity. 

0 GOD of salvation, who hast assured us that 
only he that believeth in Jesus shall be saved, 
confirm our hearts in the constant belief of the 
truth of thy word. While others cast away the 
fear of God and the wholesome restraints of thy 
law, may we receive the religion of thy holy gos¬ 
pel as the truth come down from heaven, and hold 
it closely to our hearts. 0 God, shine into our 
minds and hearts with convincing evidence, and 
may all infidel thoughts concerning thee and thy 
Son, Jesus Christ, be resisted, and overcome. 


VARIOUS OCCASIONS. 


227 


Unto whom shall we go but unto thee, for thou 
hast the words of eternal life ? Thou art the foun¬ 
tain of life, and all other resorts are but broken 
cisterns which can hold no water. Lord, we be¬ 
lieve, help thou our unbelief, for the sake of thy 
well beloved Son, our Saviour, Amen. 

General Thanksgiving. 

0 MOST bountiful God, who, of thy great good¬ 
ness, hast endowed us with bodies fearfully 
and wonderfully made, and with souls susceptible 
of endless happiness, we render to thee our hearty 
thanks. We thank thee that thou hast given 
fruitfulness to the earth that it may bring forth 
food for man and beast, and that thou hast spread 
out the sea as a great highway. We thank thee 
that all the works which thou hast created are 
good, and useful, and beautiful; and that they re¬ 
mind us of thy wisdom, skill, and beneficence. 
We thank thee that, even in our sinful apostasy, 
thou hast not left us without hope; but in the ful¬ 
ness of time didst send thy Son into the world to 
seek and save the lost. We thank thee that he 
humbled himself in taking upon him the form of 
a servant; that he went about doing good; that he 
patiently endured the wicked enmity of men ; that 
he offered himself as a sacrifice for sin; and that, 
having finished his work, he rose from the dead, 
ascended into heaven, and now ever liveth to make 


228 


PRAYERS FOR 


intercession for us. We thank thee for thy pre¬ 
serving goodness and forbearance toward us ; and 
most especially do we thank thee if thou hast 
brought us back from our wanderings, restored us 
to thy favour, and made us partakers of that good 
hope in Christ which shall never fail us. To 
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we render thanks 
and praise, both now and for ever, Amen. 


A Prayer in Time of Peril. 



LMIGHTY God, who rulest the raging of the 


-Fk sea when the waves thereof arise, we would 
direct our supplications to thee in this time of peril. 
While we would employ every means of safety, 
and courageously perform our duty, we would not 
forget that human strength is insignificant, and 
human skill may prove of no avail. Thou couldst 
overwhelm us in a moment, and cast us helpless 
on the mighty deep; but 0 Lord most merciful, 
look upon us in our extremity, rebuke the winds 
and the waves, and send us speedy deliverance. 
If it be thy holy will, may we survive this danger, 
and be brought in safety to our destined port; but 
if it be thy will that we are to be called hence, then 
bid us come to thee on the water; sweeten the pain 
of our departure, and through the infinite merits of 
our Lord and Saviour, prepare us for thy heavenly 
kingdom, where there shall be no more peril, no 
more death, but everlasting security and happiness. 
And thine shall be the glory for ever, Amen. 


VARIOUS OCCASIONS. 


229 


A Prayer during Sickness on Shipboard. 

0 THOU from whom we have received our life, 
in thy wise providence, it has pleased thee 
to commission disease to visit our vessel, that we 
may be reminded of our mortality and turn our 
thoughts heavenward. While threatening sick¬ 
ness has laid low some of our companions, and 
may assail us also; we implore thy gracious in¬ 
terference that the disease may be stayed, and 
health restored. Thou canst kill and make alive, 
and although our sins have justly provoked 
thy judgments, yet withhold thy hand and let 
mercy prevail. May none of our companions be 
summoned hence in an unconverted state. If thou 
hast appointed them to death, may they first ex¬ 
perience repentance towards God and faith in our 
Lord Jesus Christ, so that death may prove to 
them great gain. If thou shalt be pleased to give 
efficacy to the remedies employed, and restore them 
to health, awaken in their hearts devout grati¬ 
tude to thee from whom cometh every good and 
perfect gift. Which we ask for Christ’s sake, 
Amen. 

Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Peril. 

0 THOU who art the hearer of prayer, we have 
cried unto thee in the time of danger and 
thou hast sent us speedy deliverance. When in¬ 
numerable dangers surrounded us, thou didst 
show thyself mighty to save. We would not as* 
20 


230 


PRAYERS FOR 


<? 

cribe our safety to our own skill and courage, but 
to that Almighty hand which aided our feeble ef¬ 
forts, calming our fears, and bidding us be of 
good cheer. Most merciful God, suffer us not to 
be unmindful of thy goodness which has so re¬ 
markably appeared in our behalf. Henceforth 
may we trust thee, and be not faithless, but be¬ 
lieving. May we not forget that, in our peculiar 
calling as seamen, we are exposed to many dangers. 
The tempests may beat on us, fire may consume 
us, provisions may fail, a rock-bound coast may 
endanger, our vessel may prove unseaworthy and 
founder ; but in every extremity thou art all-suf¬ 
ficient, and to thee, therefore, would we go under 
all circumstances, and prove thy goodness and 
mercy. And to thy name shall be all the praise 
through Christ Jesus, the Lord, Amen. 

A Prayer on the Eve of Battle. 

0 GOD, who art our shield in the day of battle, 
and canst alone be our safeguard when sudden 
death threatens on every hand, we commit our¬ 
selves to thy merciful protection. Every bullet 
has its commission from thee, and strikes according 
to thy direction, and not by chance. As we are 
here to guard our country’s honour and safety, we 
pray that we may be inspired with becoming cour¬ 
age ; and, however great the peril, be prepared to 
perform our duty faithfully, and without any 


VARIOUS OCCASIONS. 


231 


shrinking of fear. Amidst the noise and smoke of 
battle, may we maintain our steadiness, and re¬ 
member that our lives are in thy hand. If any 
of us should fall, may our souls be safe through 
thy mercy ; or if we should be wounded, may we 
be patient and submissive. If it be thy holy will, 
grant that our efforts be crowned with victory, 
and may it be accomplished with as little blood¬ 
shed as possible. O God of battles, in the hour 
of conflict, forget not us, nor suffer us to forget 
thee. With us it is a time of need; with thee 
may it be a time of merciful deliverance, and may 
we yet live to praise thee. All which we ask for 
our Redeemer’s sake. Amen. 

A Prayer after Battle. 

0 GRACIOUS and ever present God, we have 
called upon thee and thou hast heard us. 
Although some of our comrades have fallen, and 
others are sorely wounded, the shield of thy protec¬ 
tion has been around us, and we are yet in the land 
of the living to praise thee. How fearful the scenes 
through which we have just passed, and yet thou 
hast not left us to dishonour ourselves by for¬ 
saking our posts, or shrinking from duty ! There 
has been but a step between us and death, and 
yet how marvellous has been our preservation! 
Let there be among us no vain boasting, but a 
spirit of devout gratitude to God. We would 


232 


PRAYERS FOR 


call upon our souls, and all that is within us to 
bless and magnify thy holy name. Grant to our 
wounded comrades thy gracious presence, and in 
the midst of their sufferings soothe their feelings, 
mitigate their pains, and restore them again to 
soundness of body. Prepare them for thy will 
whatever that will may be, and vouchsafe to us a 
thankful heart, that in all future life we may re¬ 
call to mind the favour which thou hast shown to 
us on this occasion. And unto the Father, the 
Son, and the Holy Spirit, shall be the praise, world 
without end, Amen. 

A Prayer when outward bound. 
fTTHY providence, 0 Lord, is everywhere the same 
on the land and on the mighty deep, and to 
that providence we would now commit ourselves. 
While in the pursuit of lawful business, we leave 
port, we commend to thy fatherly care our relatives 
and friends whom we leave behind, and we pray 
thee ever to have them in thy holy keeping. May 
they find thee a safe tower to which, in every 
danger, they may betake themselves, and may no 
plague come nigh their dwelling. Through thy 
favour may we all again meet together in peace, 
and present to thee our common thanksgivings. 
And may we, who are now about to enter on the 
wide sea, be prospered in our undertaking. Thou 
who commandest the winds and waves, send us on 


VARIOUS OCCASIONS. 


233 


our voyage with thy blessing. May our vessel 
prove staunch, our officers skilful, and our men 
faithful to duty. Let not the threatening tempest 
assail us, or the raging waves endanger us; but 
grant us favouring winds that our voyage may be 
speedily and safely accomplished. Then will we 
praise the Lord for his goodness and for his won¬ 
derful works to the children of men; these 
mercies we ask for Christ’s sake, Amen. 

A Prayer on entering Port. 

O UR Father who art in heaven, thou rulest over 
all, and thy footsteps are on the sea. Blessed 
be thy name, thou hast favoured us with thy 
presence, and after tossing on the mighty waters 
we are permitted, by thy good providence, to enter 
our destined port. In the day and night watches 
thou hast been our keeper, and no serious calamity 
has befallen us. For this we would heartily thank 
thee. No tempest has shattered our barque, no 
fatal collision has occurred, no fire or water has 
gained the mastery over us, and the deep has not 
been made our burial place. May we keep in 
lively remembrance thy providence over us ; may 
we truly confess and forsake our sins, and flee for 
refuge to that gracious Redeemer who has died 
for us. Trusting alone in his merits, may we, 
when the voyage of life is over, enter into that 
heavenly port, where the storms of life shall no 
20 * 


234 


PRAYERS FOR 


longer assail us, and where we shall find rest to 
our souls. Which we ask for his name’s sake, 
Amen. 

A Prayer when ship-wrecked and destitute. 

0 MOST righteous and merciful God, without 
whose will, not a sparrow falleth to the ground, 
and who in thy gracious providence dost furnish 
food to the young ravens when they cry; it is by 
thy will that we are now in straits and difficulties, 
from which thy mercy alone can relieve us. 
Painful as our afflictions are, they are not as 
grievous as our sins have deserved. Thou hast 
spared our lives when in peril, and given us still 
longer time for repentance; and although now we 
are destitute and helpless, we would look to thee 
who hast assured us that we shall not seek thee in 
vain. Graciously strengthen our feeble frames, 
provide from thy fulness the things which are 
necessary for our support and comfort, raise us up 
friends to succour us, and send us speedy deliver¬ 
ance. Pity us in our low state, for we are but 
dust; and let not thy just anger fall heavily upon 
us. For the past we praise thee, and for the 
present and future we would trust thee, confiding 
both soul and body to thy fatherly care. Hear 
the voice of our supplication for Christ’s sake, 
Amen. 


VARIOUS OCCASIONS. 


235 


A Prayer under a Sense of Sin. 

A THOU who art of purer eyes than to look on 
^ sin, have mercy upon us who have lived so 
long in transgression, regardless of consequences, 
and without the fear of God. Hard and impeni¬ 
tent have been our hearts, and alike indifferent 
have we been to the mercies and judgments of the 
Lord. But now, O Lord, we begin to see the 
greatness of our guilt, and the fearful dangers to 
which it exposes us. We have sinned against thee 
from our youth up, and our iniquities are more 
in number than we can reckon. And oh! how 
aggravated they have been, committed against so 
good and merciful a God! It would be just in thee 
to condemn us and cast us out for ever from thy 
presence; but 0 most merciful God, reward us 
not according to our iniquities, neither bring 
us into judgment, for we cannot answer thee 
for one of a thousand of our sins. Give us 
a sincere and godly sorrow, that we may not 
only heartily confess our sins, but, by thy 
grace, forsake them. We would turn our eyes 
to the cross of Jesus Christ, and see there the 
Lamb of God offered in sacrifice for the sins of 
the world. While we sorrowfully cry, God be 
merciful to us sinners, may we be enabled to see, 
how thou canst be both merciful and just in the 
forgiveness of our sins. Cleanse away our deep 


236 PRAYERS FOR VARIOUS OCCASIONS. 


depravity, take away our enmity, restore to us thy 
love and favour, and for the sake of Jesus Christ, 
the only Eedeemer of lost men, make us new 
creatures, who shall hereafter live godly, righteous, 
and sober lives. Which we ask for Christ’s sake, 
Amen. 

A Prayer before going to Sleep. 

0 LORD, thou who never slumberest, may thy 
watchful eyes ever be upon us. Grant unto 
us, at this time, peaceful and refreshening sleep, 
and guard us from all the dangers of the night- 
watches. Keep us from sudden alarms and pre¬ 
serve us from sudden death. When we lie down, 
and when we rise up, may we still be with thee, 
and feel confident that thou wilt never leave or 
forsake us. We ask it for Christ’s sake, Amen. 


A Prayer on Awaking from Sleep. 

M ERCIFUL God, we have laid ourselves down 
and slept, and awaked again, for thou didst 
sustain us. For this mercy, we devoutly thank 
thee, for thou art our keeper ; may we now engage 
in our active duties with fresh spirit, and may 
all our waking thoughts and actions be such as 
thou wilt approve. We ask it for Christ’s sake, 
Amen. 


i 


BRIEF EXPOSITIONS. 


237 


BRIEF EXPOSITIONS OF PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE, 


Luke xxiii. 34. “ Father forgive them, for they know 

not what they do.” 



'HIS was the prayer of the blessed Jesus when 


he hung upon the cross. Surrounded by his 
murderers, who were unfeelingly mocking his 
dying pangs, he cherished no feeling of revenge; 
he did not wish any punishment to overtake them ; 
but earnestly prayed that they might be forgiven. 
Father, forgive them! 

How this Jesus is set forth as our example, that 
we should follow in his steps. If we would be his 
disciples, the same mind that dwelt in him must 
dwell in us. The spirit of wicked men is the spirit 
of revenge. They would take the law in their 
own hands, and visit with punishment those who 
do them any wrong. Their passions are aroused; 
they regard the offender with bitter hatred; and 
nothing they long so much for as to make him 
suffer. They not only refuse to do him any kind¬ 
ness, but rejoice when any calamity overtakes him. 
The anger which is roused within them not only 
leads to profane cursing, but to fighting and often to 
murder. Alas! this is not the spirit of Christ. 
He did not consider it unmanly to do good to his 
enemies, and to pray for them that despitefully 
used him ; and he has enjoined upon us to render 


238 


BRIEF EXPOSITIONS OF 


good for evil, and if our enemy hunger to feed him, 
and if he be thirsty to give him drink. This is a 
godlike temper, and is not only pleasing to God, 
but brings far greater peace of mind than a re¬ 
vengeful spirit. It is easier to overcome an enemy 
by kindness than by hatred; and grievously as 
our fellow men may sin against us, it is better to 
pray for them than to curse them. If we forgive 
not our fellow-men their trespasses, neither will 
God forgive us our trespasses. He mercifully for¬ 
bears with us, and we should forbear with one 
another. 


Luke xviii. 13. God be merciful to me a sinner. 

rPHIS was the heartfelt prayer of the poor pub- 
-J- lican. He felt his sins to be grievous, and so 
far from offering any excuse for them, he smote 
upon his breast; would not so much as lift up his 
eyes to heaven; confessed that he was a sinner, 
and implored the divine mercy. Now this man 
was not a sinner above all others; perhaps he was 
better than thousands around him who showed no 
concern for their souls. God, however, had en¬ 
lightened his mind; he had an insight into his 
own heart, and then he saw how great a sinner he 
was, and how certainly he must perish unless God 
pitied and pardoned. It is so now. Sinners are 


' nv 



PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE. 239 


not troubled at their situation, because they have 
so blinded their minds and hardened their hearts, 
that they really do not know how great their 
danger is. If the Spirit once arouse them and 
pour light into their minds, they are no longer un¬ 
concerned. They tremble as the sins of their past 
life rise up before them; they feel that they are 
standing on the brink of ruin, that God is angry 
with them, and that their souls are in danger of 
perishing. Then they cry out, What must I do 
to be saved ? Happy are they who are thus 
awakened. Their danger is no greater than it was 
before, but now they see it and wish to escape from 
it. A seaman may be swimming in the ocean ; he 
may be enjoying himself, although there is a vora¬ 
cious shark making towards him; he has no fear, 
because he does not see his danger; but let him 
once see the monster approaching him, and how 
loudly will he cry for help! There is hope for a 
sinner when he sees his spiritual danger, for God 
is merciful, and they that call upon him for salva¬ 
tion through Jesus Christ shall not be disap¬ 
pointed. Behold the Lamb of God, ye heavy 
laden sinners, for it is he who taketh away sin, 
and who kindly says to the supplicant, Be of good 
cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee. 


240 


BRIEF EXPOSITIONS OF 


Proverbs xiv. 9. Fools make a mock at sin. 

S IN is too serious an evil to be made a jest of. 

It is the cause of all the misery which exists 
in our world. Had there been no sin, this world 
would have been a paradise, and pure happiness 
would have dwelt in every heart. Now what 
wretchedness do we everywhere see! What evil 
passions, what enmity, what poverty, what theft, 
profanity, intemperance, licentiousness ; what sick¬ 
ness, pain, and death! and will any be so hardened 
as to make a mock at sin ? Shall we hear poor 
wretched men recounting their wicked deeds with 
triumph? Shall they turn the blessed Bible into 
ridicule ? Shall they be merry at the expense of 
religion? Shall they glory in being esteemed 
more reckless and hardened against God than 
their companions ? Surely if they thus make a 
mock at sin, they must be fools. Would not he 
be a fool who would laugh when his own house 
was burning, or his own children dying ? and is 
not he a fool who can sport with sin which is de¬ 
filing his heart, separating him from the friendship 
of God, and closing the gates of heaven against 
him? The souls of the lost never make a mock 
at sin, for they feel the evil of it in their everlast¬ 
ing perdition, and when the wicked, who, while 
they lived, neither feared God nor regarded man, 


PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE. 241 

come to a dying hour, they feel that sin is too 
serious an evil to be trifled with. Of all dooms, that 
of the mocker is the most fearful. The sin that 
he laughed at, will be like fire in his bones. 

Flee therefore the company of such fools and 
madmen, and ever remember that if sin had not 
been the greatest evil, the Son of God would not 
have come into our world to suffer and die that he 
might free man from its curse. 


Isaiah i. 18. Come now and let us reason together, 
saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall 
be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, 
they shall be as wool. 

H OW gracious are these words! The most high 
God condescends to reason with the sinner, 
to persuade him, that his sins are not so numerous 
and grievous that they cannot be pardoned. 
The sinner, when convinced by the Holy Spirit of 
his lost and ruined state, is apt to cry out, Oh, I 
have sinned so long and sinned so fearfully, that 
there is no hope for me; God will never pardon 
me. And who has told you so, poor sinner ? It 
is surely not God, for he has assured us in his 
word, that if we sincerely repent and believe in 
Jesus we shall be saved. The devil who has all 
your life long tempted you to sin, telling you 
there was no danger, would now drive you to de- 
21 



242 


BRIEF EXPOSITIONS OF 


spair, by telling you that you have sinned away 
your day of grace* and that there is now no 
hope. Believe him not. Though your sins are 
of a scarlet and crimson dye, the Lord Jesus can 
wash yo,u from them and give you a clean heart. 
And yet remember that this is no encouragement 
for you to go on in sin. There is no pardon for 
the impenitent. If you love sin too well to part 
with it, God will lift his hand and swear you shall 
not enter into his rest. If you take sin, you must 
take also its consequences, and these are misery 
here, and eternal misery hereafter. But if you 
freely confess and forsake your sins, God is faith¬ 
ful and just to forgive your sins and cleanse you 
from all unrighteousness. 


Psalm xlvi. 1. A very present help in trouble. 

T ROUBLE and affliction are the lot of all. They 
are the bitter fruits of sin. How many are 
the forms in which they assail us, and how in¬ 
adequate is our strength to bear the burden ! En¬ 
emies rise up and contrive to injure us; we are 
deprived of our property ; friends prove false; 
our hopes are disappointed; sickness afflicts our 
bodies ; our dearest earthly relatives die ; and the 
recollection of our sins, and the fear of punish¬ 
ment disturb our peace; and sometimes our trou- 



PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE. 243 

bles come so suddenly and in such, numbers, that 
we are ready to despair of deliverance. Those who 
have no God to flee to, in these dark hours, are 
greatly to be pitied. They resort to means of 
relief, which only aggravate their misery. Some 
strive to drown their trouble by intemperance, or 
by mingling with wild and wicked company; 
and not a few, driven to despair, deprive them¬ 
selves of life by their own hand, and thus com¬ 
plete their misery by rushing into the presence of 
an angry God unprepared. The Christian has a 
better remedy when overwhelmed with distress. 
He can go to his heavenly Father, who is pitiful 
and kind, and will not refuse to hear the cry of 
the distressed. He is a very present help in trou¬ 
ble. He has both the power and the will to soothe 
our sorrows, relieve our burdens, and send a calm, 
sweet peace into our hearts. Jesus Christ has a 
fellow feeling for us, and is afflicted in all our af¬ 
flictions. His invitation is, Come unto me, and I 
will give you rest. It is necessary that we should 
be afflicted, that we may be reminded that we are 
sinful and mortal, and that this world is not 
our home; but how blessed is it to be supported 
under our trials, and to find that our Saviour can 
turn them into real blessings ! Let us go therefore 
to him in every time of trouble, and pray that he 
would remove it, or graciously enable us to endure 
with patience, in view of that heavenly world 
where there shall be no more distress. 


244 BRIEF EXPOSITIONS OF 


John xv. 13. Greater love hath no man than this, 
that a man lay down his life for his friends. 

H OW true is this! We may do much to show 
our friendship for others. We may sacrifice 
time and property, and present ease, for their 
benefit. We may defend them when slandered, 
nurse them when sick, share with them our last 
loaf, and encounter much danger to rescue them. 
The last and the greatest act of friendship is not 
only to risk our lives for them, but actually to die 
in their stead. How few have been found to go 
so far as this, and lay down their lives for their 
friends! Every one would applaud such a case 
as this, and exclaim, What noble self-denial! But 
even such an example as this would be nothing 
in comparison with what Christ has done for us. 
“ God commendeth his love toward us in that, 
while we were sinners, Christ died for us.” Yes, 
while we were sinners; and therefore, while we 
were enemies ; while we were opposing him, doing 
the things which were displeasing to him, and re¬ 
fusing to reverence him as our Ruler, and love 
him as our Saviour; when we were ungrateful 
and unworthy sinners, Jesus died for us ! Oh, was 
ever love like this ? The Son of God came down 
from heaven ; he took on him the nature of man 
that he might dwell with us, and instruct and 
comfort us; and then when we rebelled against 


PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE. 245 

him and refused to return from our wanderings, 
he pitied us still, and as a last, great proof of his 
love, he offered up his life, to reconcile us to 
God. For such amazing love as this we should 
be ready to give up everything for Christ, and 
for the rest of our lives devote ourselves to his 
honour and glory. 


John iii. 3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, 
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he 
cannot see the kingdom of God. 

'T'HIS was the language of Jesus to one of the 
chief men among the Jews, and from the 
strong and solemn manner in which it is expressed, 
we may regard it as containing a very important 
truth. Many will say, with Nicodemus, How can 
this be ? What does it mean, to be born again ? 
The simple meaning of it is, that every one, who 
would enter into the kingdom of heaven, must first 
experience a change of heart and life, which will 
show that he has become a different person. Before 
this change, every one is destitute of love to God. 
He loves the world, he loves earthly pleasures, and 
has no desires beyond his present gratification. 
He dislikes God’s holy law and hates to be re¬ 
strained by it, because it is a holy law and forbids 
all sin. In all his actions and feelings, he shows 
that he has no love for his Maker. He seldom 
21 * 



246 


BRIEF EXPOSITIONS OF 


thinks of him; he may fear him as a Judge, but 
does not draw nigh to him as a Father. He never 
worships God with pleasure, and has no true heart 
to pray unto him and to glorify him. He rather 
wishes there was no God to call him to an account 
for his sins. He sees nothing pleasing in religion, 
but rather treats it with neglect and contempt. 
He loves to indulge himself in sin, and makes no 
effort to live a holy life. Thus every man by 
nature is without God, without Christ, and without 
a religious hope. He lives in this world as if he 
was to live here for ever, and makes no preparation 
for death and eternity. When, however, God’s 
mighty Spirit convinces him of his sin and danger, 
and shows him his helplessness; and when he at 
length directs him to Christ as the only Saviour ; 
when he not only reveals his sinful heart to him, 
but enables him to flee to Christ for mercy, then a 
great change comes over him, old things pass 
away, and all things become new. Then he sees 
with new eyes his great guilt and danger ; religion 
becomes to him the most important concern; God 
is looked up to with love and reverence ; sin is re¬ 
garded as the greatest evil, and every effort is made 
to lead a new life. The things he hated once he 
now loves, and what he once sinfully loved he now 
hates. He has become a new creature, he has been 
born again, and every one sees what a great change 
there is in his whole conduct. Now he prays ; 


PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE. 247 

now he lives to God and for eternity, and so far 
from practising his old sins, he hates and avoids 
them. Now if such a change is necessary before 
we can be saved, and if we cannot change our own 
hearts, we should earnestly beseech God for 
Christ’s sake to make us new creatures 


Proverbs xiii. 20. A companion of fools shall be de¬ 
stroyed. 


T) Y fools are here meant, such as say in their 
heart there is no God, such as make a mock 
at sin, or in other words, such as despise religion, 
make it the subject of their jests, neglect the 
care of their souls, live in wickedness, and refuse 
to believe that after death comes the judgment. 
Surely it is the height of folly for an immortal 
creature who is accountable to God for his deeds, 
thus to feel and thus to act. 

To be a companion of such, does not mean that 
we are never to be found where such men are, for 
this is often impossible. We may be in the same 
ship, and in the same mess with such men, when 
we cannot escape from their company. But it 
means to like and seek their society; to choose 
them as our friends, and to take a part in their 
evil doings. This makes us their companions, 
and whatever awaits them, awaits us. If they 
are to be destroyed, so will we be; if God’s anger 



248 


BRIEF EXPOSITIONS OF 


falls on them, we shall not escape. It is said, a 
man is known by the company he keeps, and it is 
equally true, that if we prefer the company of the 
wicked, we shall have a wicked man’s reward. 
Let every one ask himself the question, who are 
my chosen companions? Do I like and choose 
to be found in the society of the profane, the in¬ 
temperate, and the licentious ? Do I enter heartily 
into their disorderly and wicked frolics ? Do I 
follow them, when in port, to drinking and gamb¬ 
ling houses and hotels ? Then surely I am in the 
same condemnation, and when God cuts them off, 
he will destroy me also. The only way of safety 
is to shun their bad example, and resist the temp¬ 
tations which prove their ruin. 


Haggai i. 5. Now, therefore, thus saith the Lord of 
hosts, Consider your ways. 

TPHE merchant and tradesman watch the course 
of business; examine and compare their ac¬ 
counts ; and carefully look into the state of their 
affairs, that they may know how things go with 
them. If in matters where only money is con¬ 
cerned, it is wise and prudent to consider our 
ways, how much more so where our eternal in¬ 
terests are concerned ! God regards it as impor¬ 
tant, for “thus saith the Lord of hosts,Consider 
your ways.” It would be well every day and more 



PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE. 249 


than once a day, to put such questions as these to 
ourselves; Am I living as an immortal and ac¬ 
countable creature should live? Am I endeav¬ 
ouring to keep God’s commandments ? What is 
the great object I am pursuing ? is it merely to 
prosper in this world, or is it to be prepared for 
another ? Or on the other hand, am I a careless 
and impenitent sinner? Do I habitually commit 
sins of thought, word and deed, without fear and 
without sorrow ? Am I living here as if I were 
to live here for ever, and as if there was no death, 
no heaven, no hell ? Is my course a good one, 
and will it be profitable in the end ? These and 
such like questions we should ask of our own 
hearts and honestly answer. It will do us no 
harm to consider our ways, if we should find them 
to be such as our consciences can approve; and it 
may do us good to know if our course is a bad 
one, that we may repent of it and exchange it for 
a better. It is not right for any one to be igno¬ 
rant of his own character and to go on blindfolded. 
We should know just what we are, what we are 
doing and where we are going, so that we may 
correct what is wrong and supply what is wanting. 
The best way to do this is to examine ourselves, 
bring ourselves to a strict account, and consider 
our ways. 


250 


BRIEF EXPOSITIONS OF 


Galatians vi. 7. Be not deceived : God is not mocked: 
for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 

I F a farmer sows a particular kind of grain, he 
expects a crop of the same kind, and not of 
another kind. If he sowed rye, he would be 
laughed at, if he expected in the harvest, to find 
that it produced a crop of wheat. Just so it is 
in the moral and religious world. We may judge 
from a man’s present conduct what he will be 
hereafter. He will reap just as he sows. Thus 
for instance, if a man is too idle to work, we 
may expect to find him a beggar in the end, and 
perhaps dead in an alms-house. If a man be¬ 
comes a drunkard, in the end he will be poor, rag¬ 
ged, diseased, and despised. In short, if a man 
leads a wicked life, he cannot even in this life 
prosper, and in the world to come, he will find 
that he has lost all. If ye sow to the flesh, ye 
shall of the flesh reap corruption, but if ye sow 
to the Spirit, ye shall of the Spirit reap life ever¬ 
lasting. Every man shapes his own eternity. If 
one, in spite of temptation, lives a holy life, hea¬ 
ven will certainly become his final dwelling place; 
but can any one reasonably suppose, that the man 
who has been a profane swearer, an unclean per¬ 
son, a thief, a drunkard, a liar, and such like, shall 
reap the rewards of religion in the other world ? 
Could any one believe that the man that defied 


PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE. 251 

God by bis wickedness, and laughed at the Gospel 
of Christ, and hated religious people, and lived in 
the indulgence of his lusts, should at last find a 
place in God’s presence, where the impure in heart 
cannot enter ? No, heaven would be a hell to such, 
because they are not fitted to enjoy it. Only the 
pure in heart and life, can enter there, for just as 
a man sows so must he expect to reap. 


Ecclesiastes viii. 11. Because sentence against an 
evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart 
of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 

The man who breaks the law of his country, 
however he may deserve punishment, may escape 
by fleeing, or by bribing those who should exe¬ 
cute the laws; but it is not so in regard to the 
laws of God. No transgressor can flee where God 
cannot find him, nor can any one bribe the Al¬ 
mighty. And yet although his law is holy, just 
and good, and he will suffer no one to trample on 
it with impunity, yet so merciful and long-suffer¬ 
ing is he, that he will often delay punishment for 
a great length of time; sometimes for twenty 
years, or forty, or sixty, leaving men to grow old 
in sin without bringing his judgments upon them. 
His kind object is that sinners may be brought 
to repentance, and have no ground for saying that 



252 BRIEF EXPOSITIONS OF 


they had no time or opportunity for turning from 
their sins. 

But see how sinners abuse this forbearance. 
Their heart is fully set in them to do evil, that 
is, they are disposed to say, God does not see us, 
or he does not care how we act, for we have been 
sinning long, and he has not punished us, and now 
we will go on, and sin more and more. How 
ungrateful is this, and how foolish too ! If the 
sentence is not executed speedily, it will be exe¬ 
cuted at last, and the longer it is delayed the 
heavier it will come. A man may be sentenced 
to death, and be kept a year or more before he is 
hanged, and yet be hanged at last; and God,who 
has said of every sinner, that he is condemned 
already, may spare him even three score years and 
ten, but even at that age he will destroy him, if 
he repents not. Do not therefore abuse God’s 
mercy, but seize this favourable time, before your 
day of grace is over, and turn to him with your 
whole heart. For Christ’s sake, who died for sin¬ 
ners, he is willing to receive and save all who re¬ 
pent and believe in Jesus. 


PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE. 253 


Mark vi. 48. And about the fourth watch of the night 
he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would 
have passed by them. 



'HIS occurred on the sea of Tiberias, which is so 


called although it was a lake. It was subject 
to very fierce and sudden winds which made it 
dangerous. The disciples of Christ were in a boat 
at night rowing against a head wind, when they 
saw one walking on the water, and superstitiously 
thought it was a spirit or ghost. It was however 
the Son of God, and yet he was passing by them 
without seeming to notice them. They then cried 
out with fear, and immediately he encouraged them 
saying “ Be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid,” 
and the wind went down and they were safe. 
Mariners especially are often in great danger. 
They are exposed to fierce winds and tempests, 
and the violent tossings of the ocean, and yet, 
so to speak, there is only a plank between them 
and eternity. At such times all human help may 
be far away and yet God Almighty is ever near, 
who can make the storm a calm, if they will but 
call upon him. But there are other dangers beside 
those which threaten our lives; we mean the dan¬ 
gers to which our souls are exposed, and these are 
more to be dreaded, although they do not seem so 
real. Now in all such dangers Christ is passing 
by, whether we see him or not, and he will pass by 


22 


254 


BRIEF EXPOSITIONS OF 


unless we cry to him for help. He is able to save 
to the uttermost if we come to him; but he will 
not save, unless we feel our need of him and call 
upon him for mercy. He is a very present help 
in trouble, and why should we not apply to him ? 
Would it not be madness in a sailor, who was in 
danger of drowning, to refuse to take hold of the 
life buoy which was thrown out to him, and which 
was within his reach ? And will it not be greater 
madness in a sinner who is in danger of sinking 
into hell, if he refuses to take hold of Christ when 
he comes to him, and holds out his hand to save 
him? How is the accepted time ; now is the day 
of salvation. 


Hebrews ix. 27. It is appointed unto men once to die. 

Y ES, it is appointed unto men once to die! 

That is, God has fixed it as a certain rule 
from which there is no exception. It is the cer¬ 
tain fate of the rich as well as the poor, the wise 
as well as the foolish. Death enters the gate of 
the palace, as well as the door of the cottage. At 
the call of this messenger, the farmer must leave 
his plow, and the sailor his ship. Death sometimes 
completes his work with a sudden stroke, and 
sometimes by a slow and painful disease; some¬ 
times by accident on land, and sometimes by 
drowning at sea; sometimes in battle, and some- 



PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE. 255 


times in our own houses. He has always, and in 
all places, the ready instruments for executing his 
purpose. Not only the manner of our death is ap¬ 
pointed, but the exact time and place. It comes 
to some in youth, to others in mature life, and to 
others still in old age. When the time comes, 
there is no escape. Medicine cannot cure death, 
nor can the strong man shake it off. It is a power¬ 
ful conqueror, and every hour of every day wit¬ 
nesses its victories. It is a foolish boast in any 
one to say, I am too young and hearty to die; for 
one stroke of death can turn strength into weak¬ 
ness. Thus it is appointed unto all men, without 
exception, to die once ; yes, it is only once we can 
die here, and hence the importance of being pre¬ 
pared for the event. Our future condition depends 
on the condition in which we die. If death comes 
to us when we are impenitent and living in the 
practice of our sins, it will be, of all events, the 
most terrible for us; for just as death leaves us, so 
the judgment will find us. After death comes the 
judgment. Men may wickedly boast that they 
are not afraid of death, but that does not make it 
less terrible. Their boasting is turned into de¬ 
spair when they have to face an angry God. The 
true wisdom is to meet death as a friend who will 
introduce us into the heavenly world. This we 
can do by believing in Jesus who has taken away 
the sting of death. When we are his disciples, 


256 


FRIENDLY ADVICES 


and live in this world according to his command¬ 
ments, we know that he will not leave us when 
death comes. He will cheer us; he will safely 
convey us through the dark valley, and enable us 
to cry out, 0 death, where is thy sting ? O grave, 
where is thy victory ? 


FRIENDLY ADVICES TO SEAMEN, 


HE true friend of the sailor is not one who will 



lead him into dissipation, and tempt him to 
do those things which will injure his health ; de¬ 
prive him of his hard-earned wages; destroy his 
character; and endanger his soul. In every port 
such pretended friends are to be found who care 
not for the interests of sailors, but have their own 
wicked and selfish- ends to answer. Presuming on 
the social and open-hearted feelings of the sailor, 
and his natural desire to partake of recreation 
after long voyages, they are ready to spread before 
him the sensual baits which would be most likely 
to captivate him. These, alas! too often prove 
successful and even in opposition to better coun¬ 
sels. The sailor, freed from the strict discipline 
of the ship and flush of money, gives loose to his 
feelings, and rushes into dissipation as if it were 
the chief pleasure of life. Strange and unprinci¬ 
pled women employ their arts to entrap him, and 



TO SEAMEN. 


257 


houses of infamy open their doors with seeming 
hospitality; and soon they are engaged in wild 
merriment, inflamed with liquor, and involved in 
fights and broils, which bring them into disgrace 
and difficulty, and painfully prove that the way 
of the transgressor is hard. Deprived of their 
money, these tempters at once desert them, cast 
them adrift, and never prove themselves to be 
friends in the time of need. Such being too often 
the experience of the too credulous sailor, we 
would, as their true friends, venture to give them 
a few friendly counsels and advices. We can have 
no other object than to do them good, and to warn 
them against practices which can only turn out to 
their disadvantage. Give heed then, ye generous 
and hardy mariners; act wisely while you have 
the opportunity, and be assured that you will never 
have cause to repent, if you now determine to fol¬ 
low the better course which we point out to you. 

1. Then, resolve that you will give no reason to 
landsmen to say that you are wild, careless, and 
unprincipled; that when you have money, you do 
not know how to take care of it; and that when 
you are in port, you have no higher pleasure than 
a drunken frolic and a noisy brawl. Seamen 
should have more respect for themselves than to 
give occasion for such charges. Their calling is a 
noble and a dangerous one ; its duties are best per¬ 
formed by a hale, strong body and a virtuous 
22 * 


258 


FRIENDLY ADVICES 


mind ; and nothing can so unfit them for duty as 
that low dissipation, which soon breaks down both 
body and mind. In order to this, 

2. While you are on shipboard, be steady, sober, 
attentive to duty, and careful how you listen to 
the corrupting conversation of wicked sailors who 
have no regard for God or man. Keep as much 
as possible out of the company of those who would 
tempt you to be as wicked as themselves, and who, 
on shore, would be the first to entice you to im¬ 
proper places. A sailor may be as moral and re¬ 
spectable as any other man; and if he will exert 
himself, he may form as good a character as any 
other. This will require exertion and self-denial; 
but surely it is worth all the pains it may require. 
If sailors would rise in their profession, they 
must show by their conduct that they know how 
to govern themselves. Good seamanship, in con¬ 
nection with good conduct, is the sure road to pro¬ 
motion. 

3. In immediate connection with this advice, 
we would earnestly recommend to every seaman, 
never to leave port without a few good books. 
There are intervals of time, brief as they may be, 
which may be best employed in reading; and 
it is astonishing how much useful information 
may be picked up in this way. Men have risen 
to distinction, who had no more time to read than 
mariners usually have. And how much better 


TO SEAMEN. 


259 


to employ spare hours in this way, than in joking 
and “ spinning yarns,” as sailors call it! No sailor, 
who values his present and eternal welfare, should 
be without his Bible, and he should be too manly 
to be laughed out of this, by profane and thought¬ 
less companions. A book on navigation, or one 
of voyages and travels, or on some other useful 
subject, will not be out of place. Sailors must 
read, or they must remain ignorant, and there is 
no greater bar to prospering in the world than 
ignorance. 

4. Sailors should take care of their money. 
They earn it hard, and they should not squander 
it. They are usually thought to be the most im¬ 
provident of men, and as careless in spending 
money as children. There is too much truth in 
this. We have known whole ships’ companies, 
when paid off, to go on shore with their pockets 
full, and never rest until they had most foolishly 
squandered the whole, leaving themselves without 
enough to buy necessary clothing. Not only is 
the money gone, but spent in the indulgence of 
vices which degrade them, and ruin their health. 
Now we would give yQU a friend’s advice, that in¬ 
stead of acting in this way, you should be saving. 
If you have families, remember them. If you 
have neither wife nor children, you may have a 
father, mother, or sister, who would be glad of 
your aid. What you have, after necessary ex- 


260 


FRIENDLY ADVICES 


penses, put into some safe Saving Fund, where 
it will accumulate, and thus lay by something for 
a time of sickness, or when you shall be past ser¬ 
vice. This is much better than to depend on the 
charity of others, or go to a hospital, and it is 
much more manly. Avoid extravagance, throw 
not away your money in frolicking, but make pro¬ 
vision for a future day. 

5. When you arrive in port, if you have not your 
own houses to go to, seek out a respectable place 
of boarding, and especially some well conducted 
Sailor's Home , which may be found in some of the 
principal ports. Stand aloof from those “ land 
sharks” who will be ready to invite you to some 
low boarding house, that they may clean out 
your pockets and then send you adrift; or get 
you into debt, and then ship you, taking your 
advance pay and leaving you nothing to provide 
necessaries for your voyage. These men are your 
greatest enemies, and the less you have to do with 
them, the better will it be for yourselves. And 
suffer not yourselves to be ensnared by profligate 
women, the very oflfscouring of the earth, who 
will plunder you of all you have, and injure you 
both in soul and body. In every port you will 
find such people, who, under pretence of taking an 
interest in you, will do you all the mischief they 
can. Beware of them, and again we say, Be¬ 
ware OF THEM. 


TO SEAMEN. 


261 


6. Take care how you spend your Sundays in 
port. “ Remember the Sabbath day to keep it 
holy,” is God’s command, and you will never pros¬ 
per if you do not obey it. If there is a Mariner’s 
Church, or a Bethel Flag Ship where there is 
preaching, you cannot spend the day better than by 
attending them, and you may find friends there who 
will give you good advice. If there is no church, 
as it may be in foreign lands, where you cannot 
understand the language, employ your time with 
the Bible or some good book. Sailors suffer much, 
because they have to pass so many Sundays with¬ 
out religious instruction. If you wish to prosper 
and keep out of the way of temptation, you must 
pass these holy days in as moral and religious a 
manner as possible. 

7. Be always respectful and obedient to your 
officers, and never give ear to insubordinate men, 
who may strive to sour your minds against them, 
and annoy them as much as possible. There are 
almost always some bad men in every ship, who 
hate discipline, and who would, if they could, work 
others up to the point of mutiny. Keep aloof 
from such, and never listen to their bad counsels. 
If you should unfortunately sail with officers who 
are cross-tempered and hard upon the men, it is 
far better to submit than to resist. And if your 
conduct is uniformly good, you will probably find 
that even such men will treat you kindly. It is 


262 FRIENDLY ADVICES 

generally the case, we suppose, that bad sailors 
make the officers unreasonable; and from the expe¬ 
rience they have had in this way, they are apt to 
come to the conclusion that all sailors are bad, and 
must be treated with severity. Show such, by 
your good conduct, that they are mistaken, and 
they will soon learn to make a difference. 

8. And now, in the last place, endeavour always 
to act from a religious principle. You are not 
only accountable to your officers, but to your God. 
His eye is upon you, and if you fear and serve 
him aright, there will be no danger that you will 
fail in your duties as seamen. Sailors may be re¬ 
ligious, and they should be religious. Exposed 
as they are to so many dangers, there is a peculiar 
need in their case for the directions and hopes and 
consolations of true religion. Seek God, and he 
will not forsake you. You have seen how many 
sorrows irreligious seamen bring upon themselves. 
You have, no doubt, known many who have de¬ 
graded themselves by their vices, and even in the 
prime of their manhood have brought themselves 
down to dishonoured graves. Their fate should 
be a warning to you. Religion is your best safe¬ 
guard. If you have this, and act up to its princi¬ 
ples at all times, you will best promote your own 
comfort and success; you may be the means of 
doing much good to your shipmates, and you may 
even be the means of carrying the gospel to foreign 


TO SEAMEN. 


263 


ports, by distributing good tracts and Bibles, as 
well as by your conversation. 

And now, friends, we leave with you this book 
of devotion and friendly counsels, from a sincere 
and hearty desire to do you good; praying that 
Almighty God would so bless it to your souls, 
that you may not only enjoy the peace of God in 
this world, but may at last, when the voyage of 
life is over, enter into the port of heaven, where 
you will find a hearty welcome and a happy home. 


THE END. 






























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